F 


A  WORLD  OF  GIRLS: 


THE  STORY  OF  A  SCHOOL 


By  L.  T.  MEADE. 

of  "  The  Palace  Beautiful."   "A  Sweet 
Graduate  t    "  Pollys  A  New  Fashioned  Girl" 


M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  COMPANY 

CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 


MRS.  L.  T.  MEADE  SERIES 


BAD  LITTLE  HANNAH 
A  BUNCH  OF  CHERRIES 
CHILDREN'S  PILGRIMAGE 

DADDY'S  GIRL 

DEB  AND  THE  DUCHESS 

FRANCIS  KANE'S  FORTUNE 

A  GAY  CHARMER 

A  GIRL  OF  THE  PEOPLE 

A  GIRL  IN  TEN  THOUSAND 

THE  GIRLS  OF  ST.  WODES 

GIRLS  OF  THE  TRUE  BLUE 

GOOD  LUCK 

THE  HEART  OF  GOLD 

THE  HONORABLE  MISS 

LIGHT  OF  THE  MORNING 

LITTLE  MOTHER  TO  OTHERS 

MERRY  GIRLS  OF  ENGLAND 

MISS  NONENT'TY 
A  MODERN  TOMBOY 

OUT  OF  FASHION 

PALACE  BEAUTIFUL 

POLLY,  A  NEW-FASHIONED  GIRL 

REBELS  OF  THE  SCHOOL 

SCHOOL  FAVORITE 
A  SWEET  GIRL  GRADUATE 

THE  TIME  OF  ROSES 
A  AERY  NAUGHTY  GIRL 

WILD  KITTY 

WORLD  OF  GIRLS 

THE  YOUNG  MUTINEER 


List  Price  $1.00  Each 


141' 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 
"  Good-bye  "  to  the  Old  A-dfe „ I 

CHAPTER  II. 
fraveling  Companions. „ 6 

CHAPTER  III. 
At  Lavender  House 13 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Little  Drawing- Rooms  and  Little  Tiffs 19 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Head-Mistress  „ a8 

CHAPTER  VI. 
"  1  am  Unhappy  ' 32 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Day  at  School 35 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
"  ifou  have  Waked  me  too  Soon  " 47 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Work  and  Play. 54 

CHAPTER  X. 
Varieties 62 

CHAPTER  XI. 
What  was  Found  in  the  Schocl  Debk 74 

CHAPTER  Xil 
In  the  Chapel 88 


Iv  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

PAQK 
Talking  over  the  Mystery »•«.•.,..••.     95 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
"Sent  to  Coventry" 102 

CHAPTER  XV. 
About  Some  People  who  Thought  no  Evil 107 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

*  An  Enemy  Hath  Done  This" ., 114 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
*'The  Sweets  are  Poisoned" ,  123 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
In  the  Hammock 129 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Cup  and  Ball 136 

CHAPTER  XX. 
In  the  South  Parlor ^ 143 

CHAPTER  XXL 
Stealing  Hearts 151 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
In  Burn  Castle  Wood 155 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
"  Humpty  Dumpty  had  a  Great  Fall  ' 168 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Annie  to  the  Rescue „ 173 

CHAPTER  XXV. 
A  Spoiled  Baby 180 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Under  the  Laurel  Bush 188 

CHAPTER  XXV  ll. 
truants ». < 193 


CONTENTS.  v 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

PAGX 
fn  the  Fairies'  Field 198 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Hester's  Forgotten  Book 204 

CHAPTER  XXX. 
"A  Muddy  Stream" 212 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
Good  and  Bad  Angels 218 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
Fresh  Suspicions 221 

CHAPTER  XXXHI. 
Untrustworthy 227 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Betty  Falls  111  at  an  Awkward  Time 233 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 
"You  are  Welcome  to  Tell" 241 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
How  Moses  Moore  Kept  His  Appointment.... 247 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
A  Broken  Trust 252 

CHAPTER  XXXVIIL 
Is  She  Still  Guilty?.... 259 

CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
Hesters  Hour  of  Trial , 265 

CHAPTER  XL. 
A  Gypsy  Maid 272 

CHAPTER  XLI. 
Disguised 278 

CHAPTER  XLII. 
Hester 284 


vi  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XLIII. 

PAGB 
Susan 289 

CHAPTER  XLIV. 
Under  the  Hedge 293 

CHAPTER  XLV. 
Tiger 297 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 
For  Love  of  Nan 303 

CHAPTER  XLVII. 
Rescued 310 

CHAPTER  XLVIII. 
Dark  Days 3*3 

CHAPTER  XLIX. 
Two  Confessions 318 

CHAPTER  L. 
The  Heart  of  Little  Nan 326 

CHAPTER  LI. 
The  Prize  Essay 334 


A  WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  GOOD-BYE  "    TO     THE    OLD     LIFE. 

"  ME  WANT  to  see  Hetty,"  said  an  imperious  baby 
voice. 

"  No,  no  ;  not  this  morning,  Miss  Nan,  dear." 

"Me  do  want  to  see  Hetty,"  was  the  quick,  im- 
patient reply.  And  a  sturdy  indignant  little  face 
looked  up  at  Nurse,  to  watch  the  effect  of  the  last 
decisive  words. 

Finding  no  affirmative  reply  on  Nurse's  placid 
face,  the  small  lips  closed  firmly — two  dimples  came 
and  went  on  two  very  round  cheeks — the  mischiev- 
ous brown  eyes  grew  full  of  laughter,  and  the  next 
moment  the  little  questioner  had  squeezed  her  way 
through  a  slightly  open  door,  and  was  toddling 
down  the  broad  stone  stairs  and  across  a  landing  to 
Hetty's  room.  The  room-door  was  open,  so  the 
truant  went  in.  A  bed  with  the  bed-clothes  all 
tossed  about,  a  half  worn-out  slipper  on  the  floor,  a 
very  untidy  dressing-table  met  her  eyes,  but  no 
Hetty. 

"  Me  want  Hetty,  me  do,"  piped  the  treble  voice, 


2  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

and  then  the  little  feet  commenced  a  careful  and 
watchful  pilgrimage,  the  lips  still  firmly  shut,  the 
dimples  coming  and  going,  and  the  eyes  throwing 
many  upward  glances  in  the  direction  of  Nurse  and 
the  nursery. 

No  pursuit  as  yet,  and  great,  great  hope  of  find- 
ing Hetty  somewhere  in  the  down-stair  regions. 
Ah,  now,  how  good  !  those  dangerous  stairs  had 
been  descended,  and  the  little  voice  calling  in  shrill 
tones  for  Hetty  rang  out  in  the  wide  hall. 

"  Let  her  come  to  me,"  suddenly  said  an  answer- 
ing voice,  and  a  girl  of  about  twelve,  dressed  in 
deep  mourning,  suddenly  opened  the  door  of  a 
small  study  and  clasped  the  little  one  in  her  arms. 

"  So  you  have  found  me,  my  precious,  my  dear- 
est !  Brave,  plucky  little  Nan,  you  have  got  away 
from  Nurse  and  found  me  out !  Come  into  the 
study  now,  darling,  and  you  shall  have  some  break- 
fast. 

"  Me  want  a  bicky,  Hetty,"  said  the  baby  voice  ; 
the  round  arms  clasped  Hester's  neck,  but  the  brown 
eyes  were  already  traveling  eagerly  over  the  break- 
fast table  in  quest  of  spoil  for  those  rosy  little  lips. 

"  Here  are  two  biscuits,  Nan.  Nan,  look  me  in 
the  face — here,  sit  steady  on  my  knee  ;  you  love  me, 
don't  you,  Nan  ?" 

"  Course  me  do,"  said  the  child. 

"And  I'm  going  away  from  you,  Nan,  darling. 
For  months  and  months  I  won't  see  anything  of 
you.  My  heart  will  be  always  with  you,  and  I  shall 
think  of  you  morning,  noon  and  night.  I  love  no 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  3 

one  as  I  love  you,  Nan.      You  will  think  of  me  and 
love  me  too  ;  won't  you,  Nan  ?" 

"  Me  will,"  said  Nan  ;  "  me  want  more  bicky, 
Hetty." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  answered  Hester ;  "  put  your  arms 
tight  round  my  neck,  and  you  shall  have  sugar,  too. 
Tighter  than  that,  Nan,  and  you  shall  have  two 
lumps  of  sugar — oh,  yes,  you  shall — I  don't  care  if 
it  makes  you  sick — you  shall  have  just  what  you 
want  the  last  moment  we  are  together." 

Baby  Nan  was  only  too  pleased  to  crumple  up  a 
crape  frill  and  to  smear  a  black  dress  with  sticky 
little  fingers  for  the  sake  of  the  sugar  which  Hetty 
plied  her  with. 

"  More,  Hetty,"  she  said  ;  "  me'll  skeeze  'oo  vedy 
tight  for  more." 

On  this  scene  Nurse  unexpectedly  entered. 

"  Well,  I  never  !  and  so  you  found  your  way  all 
down-stairs  by  yourself,  you  little  toddle.  Now, 
Miss  Hetty,  I  hope  you  haven't  been  giving  the 
precious  lamb  sugar ;  you  know  it  never  does  suit 
the  little  dear.  Oh,  fie  !  baby ;  and  what  sticky 
hands !  Miss  Hetty,  she  has  crumpled  all  your 
crape  frills." 

"  What  matter  ?"  said  Hester.  "  I  wanted  a  good 
hug,  and  I  gave  her  three  or  four  lumps.  Babies 
won't  squeeze  you  tight  for  nothing.  There,  my 
Nancy,  go  back  to  Nurse.  Nurse,  take  her  away  ; 
I'll  break  down  in  a  minute  if  I  see  her  looking  at 
me  with  that  little  pout." 

Nurse  took  the  child  into  her  arms. 


4  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Good-bye,  Miss  Hester,  dear.  Try  to  be  a  good 
girl  at  school.  Take  my  word,  missy — things  won't 
be  as  dark  as  they  seem." 

"  Good-bye,  Nurse,"  said  Hester,  hastily.  "  Is 
that  you,  father  ?  are  you  calling  me  ?" 

She  gathered  up  her  muff  and  gloves,  and  ran 
out  of  the  little  study  where  she  had  been  making 
believe  to  eat  breakfast.  A  tall,  stern-looking  man 
was  in  the  hall,  buttoning  on  an  overcoat ;  a 
brougham  waited  at  the  door.  The  next  moment 
Hester  and  her  father  were  bowling  away  in  the 
direction  of  the  nearest  railway  station.  Nan's  little 
chubby  face  had  faded  from  view.  The  old  square, 
gray  house,  sacred  to  Hester  because  of  Nan,  had 
also  disappeared  ;  the  avenue  even  was  passed,  and 
Hester  closed  her  bright  brown  eyes.  She  felt  that 
she  was  being  pushed  out  into  a  cold  world,  and 
was  no  longer  in  the  same  snug  nest  with  Nan.  An  in- 
tolerable pain  was  at  her  heart ;  she  did  not  glance 
at  her  father,  who  during  their  entire  drive  occu- 
pied himself  over  his  morning  paper.  At  last  they 
reached  the  railway  station,  and  just  as  Sir  John 
Thornton  was  handing  his  daughter  into  a  comforta- 
ble first-class  carriage,  marked  "  For  Ladies  only," 
and  was  presenting  her  with  her  railway  ticket  and 
a  copy  of  the  last  week's  illustrated  newspaper,  he 
spoke  : 

"  The  guard  will  take  care  of  you,  Hester.  I  am 
giving  him  full  directions,  and  he  will  come  to  you 
at  every  station,  and  bring  you  tea  or  any  refresh- 
ment you  may  require.  This  train  takes  you  straight 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  5 

to  Sefton,  and  Mrs.  Willis  will  meet  you,  or  send 
for  you  there.  Good-bye,  my  love ;  try  to  be  a 
good  girl,  and  curb  your  wild  spirits.  I  hope  to  see 
you  very  much  improved  when  you  come  home  at 
midsummer.  Good-bye,  dear,  good-bye.  Ah,  you 
want  to  kiss  me — well,  just  one  kiss.  There — oh, 
my  dear !  you  know  I  have  a  great  dislike  to  emo- 
tion in  public." 

Sir  John  Thornton  said  this  because  a  pair  of 
arms  had  been  flung  suddenly  round  his  neck,  and 
two  kisses  imprinted  passionately  on  his  sallow 
cheek.  A  tear  also  rested  on  his  cheek,  but  that  he 
wiped  away. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER   II. 

TRAVELING  COMPANIONS. 

THE  train  moved  rapidly  on  its  way,  and  the  girl 
in  one  corner  of  the  railway  carriage  cried  silently 
behind  her  crape  veil.  Her  tears  were  very  sub- 
dued, but  her  heart  felt  sore,  bruised,  indignant ; 
she  hated  the  idea  of  school-life  before  her ;  she 
hated  the  expected  restraints  and  the  probable  pun- 
ishments ;  she  fancied  herself  going  from  a  free  life 
into  a  prison,  and  detested  it  accordingly. 

Three  months  before,  Hester  Thornton  had  been 
one  of  the  happiest,  brightest  and  merriest  of  little 

girls  in  shire  ;  but  the  mother  who  was  her 

guardian  angel,  who  had  kept  the  frank  and  spirited 
child  in  check  without  appearing  to  do  so,  who  had 
guided  her  by  the  magical  power  of  love  and  not  in 
the  least  by  that  of  fear,  had  met  her  death  sud- 
denly by  means  of  a  carriage  accident,  and  Hester 
and  baby  Nan  were  left  motherless.  Several  little 
brothers  and  sisters  had  come  between  Hester  and 
Nan,  but  from  various  causes  they  had  all  died  in 
their  infancy,  and  only  the  eldest  and  youngest  of 
Sir  John  Thornton's  family  remained. 

Hester's  father  was  stern,  uncompromising.  He 
was  a  very  just  and  upright  man,  but  he  knew 


A    WORLD  OF  GfRLS.  7 

nothing  of  the  ways  of  children,  and  when  Hester 
in  her  usual  torn-boyish  fashion  climbed  trees  and 
tore  her  dresses,  and  rode  bare-backed  on  one  or  two 
of  his  most  dangerous  horses,  he  not  only  tried  a 
little  sharp,  and  therefore  useless,  correction,  but 
determined  to  take  immediate  steps  to  have  his  wild 
and  rather  unmanageable  little  daughter  sent  to  a 
first-class  school.  Hester  was  on  her  way  there 
now,  and  very  sore  was  her  heart  and  indignant 
her  impulses.  Father's  "  good-bye  "  seemed  to  her 
to  be  the  crowning  touch  to  her  unhappiness,  and 
she  made  up  her  mind  not  to  be  good,  not  to  learn 
her  lessons,  not  to  come  home  at  midsummer  crowned 
with  honors  and  reduced  to  an  e  very-day  and  pat- 
tern little  girl.  No,  she  would  be  the  same  wild 
Hetty  as  of  yore  ;  and  when  father  saw  that  school 
could  do  nothing  for  her,  that  it  could  never  make 
her  into  a  good  and  ordinary  little  girl,  he  would 
allow  her  to  remain  at  home.  At  home  there  was 
at  least  Nan  to  love,  and  there  was  mother  to  re- 
member. 

Hetty  was  a  child  of  the  strongest  feelings. 
Since  her  mother's  death  she  had  scarcely  mentioned 
her  name.  When  her  father  alluded  to  his  wife, 
Hester  ran  out  of  the  room ;  when  the  servants 
spoke  of  their  late  mistress,  Hester  turned  pale, 
stamped  her  feet,  and  told  them  to  be  quiet. 

"  You  are  not  worthy  to  speak  of  my  mother," 
she  electrified  them  all  one  day  by  exclaiming : 
"  My  mother  is  an  angle  now,  and  you — oh,  you  are 
not  fit  to  breathe  her  name  !" 


8  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Only  to  one  person  would  Hetty  ever  voluntarily 
say  a  word  about  the  beloved  dead  mother,  and  that 
was  to  little  Nan.  Nan  said  her  prayers,  as  she  ex- 
pressed it,  to  Hetty  now  ;  and  Hetty  taught  her  a 
little  phrase  to  use  instead  of  the  familiar  "  God 
bless  mother."  She  taught  the  child  to  say,  "  Thank 
God  for  making  mother  into  a  beautiful  angle ;" 
and  when  Nan  asked  what  an  angle  was,  and  how 
the  cozy  mother  she  remembered  could  be  turned 
into  one,  Hester  was  beguiled  into  a  soft  and  tear- 
ful talk,  and  she  drew  several  lovely  pictures  of 
white-robed  angles,  until  the  little  child  was  satis- 
fied and  said  : 

"  Me  like  that,  Hetty — me'll  be  an  angle  too, 
Hetty,  same  as  mamma." 

These  talks  with  Nan,  however,  did  not  come  very 
often,  and  of  late  they  had  almost  ceased,  for  Nan 
was  only  two  and  a  half,  and  the  strange,  sad  fact 
remained  that  in  three  months  she  had  almost  for- 
gotten her  mother. 

Hester  on  her  way  to  school  this  morning  cried 
for  some  time,  then  she  sat  silent,  her  crape  veil  still 
down,  and  her  eyes  watching  furtively  her  fellow- 
passengers.  They  consisted  of  two  rather  fidgety 
old  ladies,  who  wrapped  themselves  in  rugs,  were 
very  particular  on  the  question  of  hot  bottles,  and 
watched  Hester  in  their  turn  with  considerable 
curiosity  and  interest.  Presently  one  of  them 
offered  the  little  girl  a  sandwich,  which  she  was  too 
proud  or  too  shy  to  accept,  although  by  this  time 
she  was  feeling  extremely  hungry. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  9 

"You  will,  perhaps,  prefer  a  cake,  my  dear?" 
said  the  good-natured  it  tie  old  lady.  "  My  sister 
Agues  has  got  some  delicious  queen-cakes  in  her 
basket— will  you  eat  one  ?" 

Hester  murmured  a  feeble  assent,  and  the  queen- 
cake  did  her  so  much  good  that  she  ventured  to 
raise  her  crape  veil  and  to  look  around  her. 

"  Ahr  that  is  much  better,"  said  the  first  little  old 
lady.  "  Come  to  this  side  of  the  carriage,  my  love  ; 
we  are  just  going  to  pass  through  a  lovely  bit  of 
country,  and  you  will  like  to  watch  the  view.  See  ; 
if  you  place  yourself  here,  my  sister  Agnes'  basket 
will  be  just  at  your  feet,  and  you  can  help  yourself 
to  a  queen-cake  whenever  you  are  so  disposed." 

"  Thank  you,"  responded  Hester,  in  a  much  more 
cheerful  tone,  for  it  was  really  quite  impossible  to 
keep  up  reserve  with  such  a  bright-looking  little  old 
lady ;  "  your  queen-cakes  are  very  nice,  and  I  liked 
that  one,  but  one  is  quite  enough,  thank  you.  It  is 
Nan  who  is  so  particularly  fond  of  queen-cakes." 

"And  who  is  Nan,  my  dear?"  asked  the  sister  to 
whom  the  queen-cakes  specially  belonged. 

"  She  is  my  dear  little  baby  sister,"  said  Hester 
in  a  sorrowful  tone. 

"Ah,  and  it  was  about  her  you  were  crying  just 
now,"  said  the  first  lady,  laying  her  hand  on  Hester's 
arm.  "  Never  min^  us,  dear,  we  have  seen  a  great 
many  tears — a  great  many.  They  are  the  way  of 
the  world.  Women  are  born  to  them.  As  Kingsley 
says — '  women  must  weep.'  It  was  quite  natural 
that  you  should  cry  about  your  sweet  little  Nan, 


10  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

and  I  wish  we  could  send  her  some  of  these  queen- 
cakes  that  you  say  she  is  so  fond  of.  Are  you  go- 
ing to  be  long  away  from  her,  love  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  for  months  and  months,"  said  Hester. 
"  I  did  not  know,"  she  added,  "  that  it  was  such  a 
common  thing  to  cry.  I  never  used  to." 

"Ah,  you  have  had  other  trouble,  poor  child," 
glancing  at  her  deep  mourning  frock. 

"Yes,  it  is  since  then  I  have  cried  so  often. 
Please,  I  would  rather  not  speak  about  it." 

"  Quite  right,  my  love,  quite  right,"  said  Miss 
Agnes  in  a  much  brisker  tone  than  her  sister. 
"  We  will  turn  the  conversation  now  to  something 
inspiriting.  Jane  is  quite  right,  there  are  plenty  of 
tears  in  the  world ;  but  there  is  also  a  great  deal  of 
sunshine  and  heaps  of  laughter,  merry  laughter — 
the  laughter  of  youth,  my  child.  Now,  I  dare  say, 
though  you  have  begun  your  journey  so  sadly,  that 
you  are  really  bound  on  quite  a  pleasant  little  ex- 
pedition. For  instance,  you  are  going  to  visit  a 
kind  aunt,  or  some  one  else  who  will  give  you  a 
delightful  welcome." 

"  No,"  said  Hester,  "I  am  not.  I  am  going  to  a 
dreadful  place,  and  the  thought  of  that,  and  parting 
from  little  Nan,  are  the  reasons  why  I  cried.  I  am 
going  to  prison — I  am,  indeed." 

"  Oh,  my  dear  love !"  exclaimed  both  the  little 
old  ladies  in  a  breath.  Then  Miss  Agnes  contin- 
ued :  "  You  have  really  taken  Jane's  breath  away 
— quite.  Yes,  Jane,  I  see  that  you  are  in  for  an  at- 
tack of  palpitation.  Never  mind  her,  dear,  she  pal- 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  U 

pitates  very  easily  ;  but  I  think  you  must  be  mis- 
taken, my  love,  in  mentioning  such  an  appalling 
word  as  'prison.'  Yes,  now  I  come  to  think  of  it, 
it  is  absolutely  certain  that  you  must  be  mistaken  ; 
for  if  you  were  going  to  such  a  terrible  place  of 
punishment  you  would  be  under  the  charge  of  a 
policeman.  You  are  given  to  strong  language,  dear, 
like  other  young  folk." 

"Well,  I  call  it  prison,"  continued  Hester,  who 
was  rather  flattered  by  all  this  bustle  and  Miss 
Jane's  agitation  ;  "  it  has  a  dreadful  sound,  hasn't  it  ? 
I  call  it  prison,  but  father  says  I  am  going  to  school 
— you  can't  wonder  that  I  am  crying,  can  you? 
Oh  !  what  is  the  matter  ?" 

For  the  two  little  old  ladies  jumped  up  at  this 
juncture,  and  gave  Hetty  a  kiss  apiece  on  her  soft, 
young  lips. 

"  My  darling,"  they  both  exclaimed,  "  we  are  so 
relieved  and  delighted  !  Your  strong  language  start- 
led us,  and  school  is  anything  but  what  you  imagine, 
dear.  Ah,  Jane !  can  you  ever  forget  our  happy 
days  at  school  ?" 

Miss  Jane  sighed  and  rolled  up  her  eyes,  and  then 
the  two  commenced  a  vigorous  catechizing  of  the 
little  girl.  Really  Hester  could  not  help  feeling 
almost  sunshiny  before  that  long  journey  came  to 
an  end,  for  she  and  the  Misses  Bruce  made  some  de- 
lightful discoveries.  The  little  old  ladies  very 
quickly  found  out  that  they  lived  close  to  the  school 
where  Hetty  was  to  spend  the  next  few  months. 
They  knew  Mrs.  Willis  well — they  knew  the  de« 


12  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

lightful,  rambling,  old-fashioned  house  where  Hester 
was  to  live — they  even  knew  two  or  three  of  the 
scholars  ;  and  they  said  so  often  to  the  little  girl  that 
she  was  going  into  a  life  of  clover — positive  clover — 
that  she  began  to  smile,  and  even  partly  to  believe 
them. 

"  I  am  glad  I  shall  be  near  you,  at  least,"  she  said 
at  last,  with  a  frank  sweet  smile,  for  she  had  greatly 
taken  to  her  kind  fellow-travelers. 

"Yes,  my  dear,"  exclaimed  Miss  Jane.  "We  at- 
tend the  same  church,  and  I  shall  look  out  for  yoit 
on  Sunday,  and,"  she  continued,  glancing  first  at  her 
sister  and  then  addressing  Hester,  "perhaps  Mrs. 
Willis  will  allow  you  to  visit  us  occasionally." 

"  I'll  come  to-morrow,  if  you  like,"  said  Hester. 

"Well,  dear,  well — that  must  be  as  Mrs.  Willis 
thinks  best.  Ah,  here  we  are  at  Sefton  at  last.  We 
shall  look  out  for  you  in  church  on  Sunday,  my 
love." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  13 


CHAPTER  III. 

AT    LAVENDER    HOUSE. 

HESTER'S  journey  had  really  proved  wonderfully 
agreeable.  She  had  taken  a  great  fancy  to  the  little  old 
ladies  who  had  fussed  over  her  and  made  themselves 
pleasant  in  her  behalf.  She  felt  herself  something 
like  a  heroine  as  she  poured  out  a  little,  just  a  little, 
of  her  troubles  into  their  sympathizing  ears ;  and 
their  cheerful  remarks  with  regard  to  school  and 
school-life  had  caused  her  to  see  clearly  that  there 
might  be  another  and  a  brighter  side  to  the  gloomy 
picture  she  had  drawn  with  regard  to  her  future. 

But  during  the  drive  of  two  and  a  half  miles  from 
Sefton  to  Lavender  House,  Hester  once  more  began 
to  feel  anxious  and  troubled.  The  Misses  Bruce  had 
gone  off  with  some  other  passengers  in  a  little  omni- 
bus to  their  small  villa  in  the  town,  but  Lavender 
House  was  some  distance  off,  and  the  little  omnibus 
never  went  so  far. 

An  old-fashioned  carriage,  which  the  ladies  told 
Hester  belonged  to  Mrs.  Willis,  had  been  sent  to 
meet  her,  and  a  man  whom  the  Misses  Bruce  ad- 
dressed as  "  Thomas  "  helped  to  place  her  trunk  and 
a  small  portmanteau  on  the  roof  of  the  vehicle.  The 
Httle  girl  had  to  take  her  drive  alone,  and  the  rather 


14  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

ancient  horse  which  drew  the  old  carriage  climbed 
up  and  down  the  steep  roads  in  a  most  leisurely 
fashion.  It  was  a  cold  winter's  day,  and  by  the 
time  Thomas  had  executed  some  commissions  in 
Sefton,  and  had  reached  the  gates  of  the  avenue 
which  led  to  Lavender  House,  it  was  very  nearly 
dark.  Hester  trembled  at  the  darkness,  and  when 
the  gates  were  shut  behind  them  by  a  rosy-faced 
nrchin  of  ten,  she  once  more  began  to  feel  the  cruel 
and  desolate  idea  that  she  was  going  to  prison. 

They  drove  slowly  down  a  long  and  winding 
avenue,  and,  although  Hester  could  not  see,  she  knew 
they  must  be  passing  under  trees,  for  several  times 
their  branches  made  a  noise  against  the  roof  of  the 
carriage.  At  last  they  came  to  a  standstill.  The 
old  servant  scrambled  slowly  down  from  his  seat  on 
the  box,  and,  opening  the  carriage-door,  held  out  his 
hand  to  help  the  little  stranger  to  alight. 

"Come  now,  missy,"  he  said  in  cheering  tones, 
"  come  out,  and  you'll  be  warm  and  snug  in  a  min- 
ute. Dear,  dear !  I  expect  you're  nearly  froze  up, 
poor  little  miss,  and  it  is  a  most  bitter  cold  night." 

He  rang  a  bell  which  hung  by  the  entrance  of  a 
deep  porch,  and  the  next  moment  the  wide  hall-door 
was  flung  open  by  a  neat  maid-servant,  and  Hester 
stepped  within. 

"  She's  come,"  exclaimed  several  voices  in  differ- 
ent keys,  and  proceeding  apparently  from  different 
quarters.  Hester  looked  around  her  in  a  half -startled 
way,  but  she  could  see  no  one,  except  the  maid,  who 
smiled  at  her  and  said  : 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  15 

"Welcome  to  Lavender  House,  miss.  If  you'll 
step  into  the  porter's  room  for  one  moment,  there  is 
a  good  fire  there,  and  I'll  acquaint  Miss  Danesbury 
that  you  have  arrived." 

The  little  room  in  question  was  at  the  right  hand 
side  of  a  very  wide  and  cheerful  hall,  which  was 
decorated  in  pale  tints  of  green,  and  had  a  handsome 
encaustic-tiled  floor.  A  blazing  fire  and  two  lamps 
made  the  hall  look  cheerful,  but  Hester  was  very 
glad  to  take  refuge  from  the  unknown  voices  in  the 
porter's  small  room.  She  found  herself  quite  trem- 
bling with  shyness  and  cold,  and  an  indescribable 
longing  to  get  back  to  Nan  ;  and  as  she  waited  for 
Miss  Danesbury  and  wondered  fearfully  who  or 
what  Miss  Danesbury  was,  she  scarcely  derived  any 
comfort  from  the  blazing  fire  near  which  she  stood. 

"Rather  tall  for  her  age,  but  I  fear,  I  greatly 
fear,  a  little  sulky,"  said  a  voice  behind  her ;  and 
when  she  turned  round  in  an  agony  of  trepidation 
and  terror,  she  suddenly  found  herself  face  to  face 
with  a  tall,  kind-looking,  middle-aged  lady,  and  also 
with  a  bright,  gypsy-looking  girl. 

"  Annie  Forest,  how  very  naughty  of  you  to  hide 
behind  the  door !  You  are  guilty  of  disobedience 
in  coming  into  this  room  without  leave.  I  must  re- 
port you,  my  dear ;  yes,  I  really  must.  You  lose 
two  good  conduct  marks  for  this,  and  will  probably 
have  thirty  lines  in  addition  to  your  usual  quantity 
of  French  poetry." 

"But  she  won't  tell  on  me,  she  won't,  dear  old 
Danesbury,"  said  the  girl ;  "  she  couldn't  be  so 


16  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

hard-hearted,  the  precious  love,  particularly  as  curi- 
osity happens  to  be  one  of  her  own  special  little 
virtues  !  Take  a  kiss,  Danesbury,  and  now,  as  you  love 
me  you'll  be  merciful !"  The  girl  flitted  away,  and 
Miss  Danesbury  turned  to  Hester,  whose  face  had 
changed  from  red  to  pale  during  this  little  scene. 

"What  a  horrid,  vulgar,  low-bred  girl!"  she  ex- 
claimed with  passion,  for  in  all  the  experiences  of 
her  short  life  Hester  had  never  even  imagined  that 
personal  remarks  could  be  made  of  any  one  in  their 
very  presence.  "  I  hope  she'll  get  a  lot  of  punish- 
ment— I  hope  you  are  not  going  to  forgive  her,'" 
she  continued,  for  her  anger  had  for  the  time  quite 
overcome  her  shyness. 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  my  dear  !  we  should  all  be  forgiv- 
ing," exclaimed  Miss  Danesbury  in  her  gentle  voice. 
"  Welcome  to  Lavender  House,  love  ;  I  am  sorry  I 
was  not  in  the  hall  to  receive  you.  Had  I  been, 
this  little  rencontre  would  not  have  occurred.  Annie 
Forest  meant  no  harm,  however — she's  a  wild  little 
sprite,  but  affectionate.  You  and  she  will  be  the 
best  friends  possible  by-and-by.  Now,  let  me  take 
you  to  your  room ;  the  gong  for  tea  will  sound  in 
exactly  five  minutes,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  be  glad 
of  something  to  eat." 

Miss  Danesbury  then  led  Hester  across  the  hall 
and  up  some  broad,  low,  thickly-carpeted  stairs. 
When  they  had  ascended  two  flights,  and  were 
standing  on  a  handsome  landing,  she  paused. 

"Do  you  see  this  baize  door,  dear?"  she  said. 
"  This  is  the  entrance  to  the  school  part  of  the  house. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  tf 

This  part  that  we  are  now  in  belongs  exclusively  to 
Mrs.  Willis,  and  the  girls  are  never  allowed  to  come 
here  without  leave.  All  the  school  life  is  lived  at 
the  other  side  of  this  baize  door,  and  a  very  happy 
life  I  assure  you  it  is  for  those  little  girls  who  make 
up  their  minds  to  be  brave  and  good.  Now  kiss  me, 
my  dear,  and  let  me  bid  you  welcome  once  again  to 
Lavender  House." 

"Are  you  our  principal  teacher,  then?"  asked 
Hester. 

"  I  ?  oh,  dear,  no,  my  love.  I  teach  the  younger 
children  English,  and  I  look  after  the  interests  and 
comforts  of  all.  I  am  a  very  useful  sort  of  person, 
I  believe,  and  I  have  a  motherly  heart,  dear,  and  it 
is  away  with  little  girls  to  come  to  me  when  they  are 
in  trouble.  Now,  my  love,  we  must  not  chatter  any 
longer.  Take  my  hand,  and  let  us  get  to  your  room 
as  fast  as  possible." 

Miss  Danesbury  pushed  open  the  baize  door,  and 
instantly  Hester  found  herself  in  a  different  region. 
Mrs.  Willis'  part  of  the  house  gave  the  impression 
of  warmth,  luxuriance,  and  even  elegance  of  arrange- 
ment. At  the  other  side  of  the  door  were  long, 
narrow  corridors,  with  snow-white  but  carpetless 
floors,  and  rather  cold,  distempered  walls.  Miss 
Danesbury,  holding  the  new  pupil's  hand,  led  her 
down  two  corridors,  and  past  a  great  number  of 
shut  doors,  behind  which  Hester  could  hear  sup- 
pressed laughter  and  eager,  chattering  voices.  At 
last,  however,  they  stopped  at  a  door  which  had  the 
number  "  32  "  written  over  it. 


18  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"This  is  your  bedroom,  dear,"  said  the  English 
teacher,  "  and  to-night  you  will  not  be  sorry  to  have 
it  alone.  Mrs  Willis  received  a  telegram  from 
Susan  Drummond,  your  room-mate,  this  afternoon, 
and  she  will  not  arrive  until  to-morrow." 

However  bare  and  even  cold  the  corridors  looked, 
the  bedroom  into  which  Hester  was  ushered  by  no 
means  corresponded  with  this  appearance.  It  was  a 
small,  but  daintily-furnished  little  room.  The  floor 
was  carpeted  with  green  felt,  the  one  window  was 
hung  with  pretty  draperies  and  two  little,  narrow, 
white  beds  were  arranged  gracefully  with  French 
canopies.  All  the  furniture  in  the  room  was  of  a 
minute  description,  but  good  of  its  kind.  Beside 
each  bed  stood  a  mahogany  chest  of  drawers.  At 
two  corresponding  corners  were  marble  wash  hand- 
stands, and  even  two  pretty  toilet  tables  stood  side 
by  side  in  the  recess  of  the  window.  But  the  sight 
that  perhaps  pleased  Hester  most  was  a  small  bright 
fire  which  burned  in  the  grate. 

"Now,  dear,  this  is  your  room.  As  you  have 
arrived  first  you  can  choose  your  own  bed  and  your 
own  chest  of  drawers.  Ah,  that  is  right,  Ellen  has 
unfastened  your  portmanteau  ;  she  will  unpack  your 
trunk  to-night,  and  take  it  to  the  box-room.  Now, 
dear,  smooth  your  hair  and  wash  your  hands.  The 
gong  will  sound  instantly.  I  will  come  for  you 
when  it  does." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS,  19 


CHAPTER  IV. 

LITTLE  DRAWING-ROOMS  AND  LITTLE  TIFFS. 

Miss  DANESBURY,  true  to  her  word,  came  to  fetch 
Hester  down  to  tea.  They  went  down  some  broad, 
carpetless  stairs,  along1  a  wide  stone  hall,  and  then 
paused  for  an  instant  at  a  half-open  door  from 
which  a  stream  of  eager  voices  issued. 

"  I  will  introduce  you  to  your  school-fellows,  and 
I  hope  your  future  friends,"  said  Miss  Danesbury. 
"After  tea  you  will  come  with  me  to  see  Mrs. 
Willis — she  is  never  in  the  school-room  at  tea-time. 
Mdllc.  Perier  or  Miss  Good  usually  superintends. 
Now,  my  dear,  come  along — why,  surely  you  are 
not  frightened !" 

"  Oh,  please,  may  I  sit  near  you  ?"  asked  Hester. 

"  No,  my  love  ;  I  take  care  of  the  little  ones,  and 
they  are  at  a  table  by  themselves.  Now,  come  in 
at  once — the  moment  you  dread  will  soon  be  over, 
and  it  is  nothing,  my  love — really  nothing." 

Nothing !  never,  as  long  as  Hester  lived,  did  she 
forget  the  supreme  agony  of  terror  and  shyness 
which  came  over  her  as  she  entered  that  long-,  low, 
brightly-lighted  room.  The  forty  pairs  of  curious 
eyes  which  were  raised  inquisitively  to  her  face 
became  as  torturing-  as  forty  burning  suns.  She 


20  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

felt  an  almost  uncontrollable  desire  to  run  away  and 
hide — she  wondered  if  she  could  possibly  keep  from 
screaming  aloud.  In  the  end  she  found  herself,  she 
scarcely  knew  how,  seated  beside  a  gentle,  sweet- 
mannered  girl,  and  munching  bread  and  butter 
which  tasted  drier  than  sawdust,  and  occasionally 
trying  to  sip  something  very  hot  and  scalding  which 
she  vaguely  understood  went  by  the  name  of  tea. 
The  buzzing  voices  all  chattering  eagerly  in  French, 
and  the  occasional  sharp,  high-pitched  reprimands 
coming  in  peremptory  tones  from  the  thin  lips  of 
Mdlle.  Perier,  sounded  far  off  and  distant — her  head 
was  dizzy,  her  eyes  swam — the  tired  and  shy  child 
endured  tortures. 

In  after-days,  in  long  after-years  when  the  mem- 
ory of  Lavender  House  was  to  come  back  to 
Hetty  Thornton  as  one  of  the  sweetest,  brightest 
episodes  in  her  existence — in  the  days  when  she  was 
to  know  almost  every  blade  of  grass  in  the  gardens, 
and  to  be  familiar  with  each  corner  of  the  old  house, 
with  each  face  which  now  appeared  so  strange,  she 
might  wonder  at  her  feelings  to-night,  but  never 
even  then  could  she  forget  them. 

She  sat  at  the  table  in  a  dream,  trying  to  eat  the 
tasteless  bread  and  butter.  Suddenly  and  swiftly 
the  thick  and  somewhat  stale  piece  of  bread  on  her 
plate  was  exchanged  for  a  thin,  fresh,  and  delicately- 
cut  slice. 

"  Eat  that,''  whispered  a  voice — "  I  know  the 
other  is  horrid.  It's  a  shame  of  Perier  to  give  suet 
stuff  to  a  stranger." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  21 

"  Mdlle.  Ce"cile,  you  are  transgressing ;  you  are 
talking  English,"  came  in  a  torrent  of  rapid  French 
from  the  head  of  the  table.  "  You  lose  a  conduct 
mark,  ma'amselle." 

The  young  girl  who  sat  next  to  Hester  inclined  her 
head  gently  and  submissively,  and  Hester,  venturing 
to  glance  at  her,  saw  that  a  delicate  pink  had  spread 
itself  over  her  pale  face.  She  was  a  plain  girl ;  but 
even  Hester,  in  this  first  moment  of  terror,  could 
scarcely  have  been  afraid  of  her,  so  benign  was  her 
expression,  so  sweet  the  glance  from  her  soft,  full 
brown  eyes.  Hester  now  further  observed  that  the 
thin  bread  and  butter  had  been  removed  from 
Cecil's  own  plate.  She  began  to  wonder  why  this 
girl  was  indulged  with  better  food  than  the  rest  of 
her  comrades. 

Hester  was  beginning  to  feel  a  little  less  shy,  and 
was  taking  one  or  two  furtive  glances  at  her  com- 
panions, when  she  suddenly  felt  herself  turning 
crimson,  and  all  her  agony  of  shyness  and  dislike  to 
her  school-life  returning.  She  encountered  the  full, 
bright,  quizzical  gaze  of  the  girl  who  had  made 
personal  remarks  about  her  in  the  porter's  room. 
The  merry  black  eyes  of  this  gypsy  maiden  fairly 
twinkled  with  suppressed  fun  when  they  met  hers, 
and  the  bright  head  even  nodded  audaciously  across 
the  table  to  her. 

Not  for  worlds  would  Hester  return  this  friendly 
greeting — she  still  held  to  her  opinion  that  Miss 
Forest  was  one  of  the  most  ill-bred  people  she  had 
ever  met,  and,  in  addition  to  feeling  a  considerable 


22  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

amount  of  fear  of  her,  she  quite  made  up  her  mind 
that  she  would  never  be  on  friendly  terms  with  so 
under-bred  a  girl. 

At  this  moment  grace  was  repeated  in  sonorous 
tones  by  a  stern-looking  person  who  sat  at  the  foot 
of  the  long  table,  and  whom  Hester  had  not  before 
noticed.  Instantly  the  girls  rose  from  their  seats, 
and  began  to  file  in  orderly  procession  out  of  the 
tea-room.  Hester  looked  round  in  terror  for  the 
friendly  Miss  Danesbury,  but  she  could  not  catch 
sight  of  her  anywhere.  At  this  moment,  however, 
her  companion  of  the  tea-table  touched  her  arm. 

"  We  may  speak  English  now  for  half  an  hour," 
she  said,  "and  most  of  us  are  going-  to  the  play- 
room. We  generally  tell  stories  round  the  fire  upon 
these  dark  winter's  nights.  Would  you  like  to  come 
with  me  to-night  ?  Shall  we  be  chums  for  this 
evening  ?" 

"I  don't  know  what  'chums'  are,"  said  Hester; 
"  but,"  she  added,  with  the  dawning  of  a  faint  smile 
on  her  poor,  sad  little  face,  "  I  shall  be  very  glad  to 
go  with  you." 

"  Come  then,"  said  Cecil  Temple,  and  she  pulled 
Hester's  hand  within  her  arm,  and  walked  with  her 
across  the  wide  stone  hall,  and  into  the  largest  room 
Hester  had  ever  seen. 

Never,  anywhere,  could  there  have  been  a  more 
delightful  play-room  than  this.  It  was  so  large  that 
two  great  fires  which  burned  at  either  end  were  not 
at  all  too  much  to  emit  even  tolerable  warmth. 
The  room  was  bright  with  three  or  four  lamps 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.*  23 

which  were  suspended  from  the  ceiling1,  the  floor 
was  covered  with  matting,  and  the  walls  were  di- 
vided into  curious  partitions,  which  gave  the  room  a 
peculiar  but  very  cosy  effect.  These  partitions  con- 
sisted of  large  panels,  and  were  divided  by  slender 
rails  the  one  from  the  other. 

"This  is  my  cosy  corner,"  said  Cecil,  "and  you 
shall  sit  with  me  in  it  to-night.  Yon  see,"  she 
added,  "each  of  us  girls  has  her  own  partition,  and 
we  can  do  exactly  what  we  like  in  it.  We  can  put 
our  own  photographs,  our  own  drawings,  our  own 
treasures  on  our  panels.  Under  each  division  is  our 
own  little  work-table,  and,  in  fact,  our  own  indi- 
vidual treasures  lie  round  us  in  the  enclosure  of  this 
dear  little  rail.  The  center  of  the  room  is  common 
property,  and  you  see  what  a  great  space  there  is 
round  each  fire-place  where  we  can  chatter  and  talk, 
and  be  on  common  ground.  The  fire-place  at  the 
end  of  the  room  near  the  door  is  reserved  especially 
for  the  little  ones,  but  we  elder  girls  sit  at  the  top. 
Of  course  you  will  belong  to  us.  How  old  are 
you  ?" 

"Twelve," said  Hester. 

"  Oh,  well,  you  are  so  tall  that  you  cannot  possi- 
bly be  put  with  the  little  ones,  so  you  must  come  in 
with  us." 

"  And  shall  I  have  a  railed-in  division  and  a  panel 
of  my  own  ?"  asked  Hester.  "  It  sounds  a  very  nice 
arrangement.  I  hope  my  department  will  be  close 
to  yours,  Miss " 

"  Temple  is  my  name,"  said  Cecil,  "  but  you  need 


24  A    WORLD  OF  GJRLS. 

not  call  me  that.  I  am  Cecil  to  all  my  friends,  and 
you  are  my  friend  this  evening,  for  you  are  my  chum, 
you  know.  Oh,  you  were  asking  me  about  our 
departments — you  won't  have  any  at  first,  for  you 
have  got  to  earn  it,  but  I  will  invite  you  to  mine 
pretty  often.  Come,  now,  let  us  go  inside.  Is  not 
it  just  like  the  darlingest  little  drawing-room  ?  I  am 
so  sorry  that  I  have  only  one  easy  chair,  but 
you  shall  have  it  to-night,  and  I  will  sit  on  this 
three-legged  stool.  I  am  saving  up  my  money  to 
buy  another  arm-chair,  and  Annie  has  promised  to 
upholster  it  for  me." 

"  Is  Annie  one  of  the  maids  ?" 

"  Oh,  dear,  no !  she's  dear  old  Annie  Forest,  the 
liveliest  girl  in  the  school.  Poor  darling,  she's  sel- 
dom out  of  hot  water  ;  but  we  all  love  her,  we  can't 
help  it.  Poor  Annie,  she  hardly  ever  has  the  luxury 
of  a  department  to  herself,  so  she  is  useful  all  round. 
She's  the  most  amusing  and  good-natured  dear  pet 
isi  Christendom." 

"  I  don't  like  her  at  all,"  said  Hester  ;  "  I  did  not 
know  you  were  talking  of  her — she  is  a  most  rude, 
uncouth  girl." 

Cecil  Temple,  who  had  been  arranging  a  small 
dark  green  table-cloth  with  daffodils  worked  artistic- 
ally in  each  corner  on  her  little  table,  stood  up  as 
the  new  comer  uttered  these  words,  and  regarded 
her  fixedly. 

"It  is  a  pity  to  draw  hasty  conclusions,"  she  said. 
"There  is  no  girl  more  loved  in  the  school  than 
Annie  Forest.  Even  the  teachers,  although  they 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  35 

are  always  punishing  her,  cannot  help  having  a  soft 
corner  in  their  hearts  for  her.  What  can  she  possi- 
bly have  done  to  offend  you  ?  but  oh  !  hush — don't 
speak — she  is  coming  into  the  room." 

As  Cecil  finished  her  rather  eager  defense  of  her 
friend,  and  prevented  the  indignant  words  which 
were  bubbling  to  Hester's  lips,  a  gay  voice  was  heard 
singing  a  comic  song  in  the  passage,  the  play-room 
door  was  flung  open  with  a  bang,  and  Miss  Forest 
entered  the  room  with  a  small  girl  seated  on  each 
of  her  shoulders. 

"  Hold  on,  Janny,  love ;  keep  your  arms  well 
round  me,  Mabel.  Now,  then,  here  we  go — twice 
up  the  room  and  down  again.  No  more,  as  I'm 
alive.  I've  got  to  attend  to  other  matters  than  you." 

She  placed  the  little  girls  on  the  floor  amid  peals 
of  laughter,  and  shouts  from  several  little  ones  to 
give  them  a  ride  too.  The  children  began  to  cling 
to  her  skirts  and  to  drag  her  in  all  directions,  and  she 
finally  escaped  from  them  with  one  dexterous  bound 
which  placed  her  in  that  portion  of  the  play-room 
where  the  little  ones  knew  they  were  not  allowed  to 
enter. 

Until  her  arrival  the  different  girls  scattered  about 
the  large  room  had  been  more  or  less  orderly,  chat- 
tering and  laughing  together,  it  is  true,  but  in  a  quiet 
manner.  Now  the  whole  place  appeared  suddenly 
in  an  uproar. 

"  Annie,  come  here — Annie,  darling,  give  me  your 
opinion  about  this — Annie,  my  precious,  naughty 
creature,  come  and  tell  me  about  your  last  scrape." 


26  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Annie  Forest  blew  several  kisses  to  her  adorers, 
but  did  not  attach  herself  to  any  of  them. 

"  The  Temple  requires  me,"  she  said,  in  her  sauci- 
est tones ;  "  my  beloved  friends,  the  Temple  as 
usual  is  vouchsafing  its  sacred  shelter  to  the 
stranger." 

In  an  instant  Annie  was  kneeling  inside  the  en- 
closure of  Miss  Temple's  rail  and  laughing  immod- 
erately. 

"  You  dear  stranger !"  she  exclaimed,  turning 
round  and  gazing  full  into  Hester's  shy  face,  "  I  do 
declare  I  have  been  punished  for  the  intense  ardor 
with  which  I  longed  to  embrace  you.  Has  she  told 
you,  Cecil,  darling,  what  I  did  in  her  behalf  ?  How 
I  ventured  beyond  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  baize 
door  and  hid  inside  the  porter's  room  ?  Poor  dear^ 
she  jumped  when  she  heard  my  friendly  voice,  and 
as  I  spoke  Miss  Danesbury  caught  me  in  the  very 
act.  Poor  old  dear,  she  cried  when  she  complained 
of  me,  but  duty  is  Danesbury's  motto ;  she  would 
go  to  the  stake  for  it,  and  I  respect  her  immensely. 
I  have  got  my  twenty  lines  of  that  horrible  French 
poetry  to  learn — the  very  thought  almost  strangles 
me,  and  I  foresee  plainly  that  I  shall  do  something 
terribly  naughty  within  the  next  few  hours  ;  I  must, 
my  love — I  really  must.  I  have  just  come  here  to 
shake  hands  with  Miss  Thornton,  and  the*  I  must 
away  to  my  penance.  Ah,  how  little  I  shall  learn, 
and  how  hard  I  shall  think  !  Welcome  to  Lavender 
House,  Miss  Thornton  ;  look  upon  me  as  your  de- 
voted ally,  and  if  you  have  a  spark  of  pity  in  your 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  27 

breast,  feel  for  the  girl  whom  you  got  into  a  scrape 
the  very  moment  you  entered  these  sacred  walls." 

"  I  don't  understand  you,"  said  Hester,  who  would 
not  hold  out  her  hand,  and  who  was  standing  up  in 
a  very  stiff,  shy,  and  angular  position.  "  I  think 
you  were  very  rude  to  startle  me,  and  make  personal 
remarks  the  very  moment  I  came  into  the  house." 

"  Oh,  dear  !  I  only  said  you  were  tall,  and  looked 
rather  sulky,  love — you  did,  you  know,  really." 

"  It  was  very  rude  of  you,"  repeated  Hester,  turn- 
ing crimson,  and  trying  to  keep  back  her  tears. 

"  Well,  my  dear,  I  meant  no  harm  ;  shake  hands, 
now,  and  let  us  make  friends." 

But  Hester  felt  either  too  shy  or  too  miserable  to 
yield  to  this  request — she  half  turned  her  back,  and 
leaned  against  Miss  Temple's  panel. 

"  Never  mind  her,"  whispered  gentle  Cecil  Tem- 
ple ;  but  Annie  Forest's  bright  face  had  darkened 
ominously — the  school  favorite  was  not  accustomed 
to  having  her  advances  flung  back  in  her  face.  She 
left  the  room  singing  a  defiant,  naughty  song,  and 
several  of  the  girls  who  had  overheard  this  scene 
whispered  one  to  the  other  : 

"  She  can't  be  at  all  nice — she  would  not  even 
shake  hands  with  Annie.  Fancy  her  turning  against 
our  Annie  in  that  way !" 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  HEAD-MISTRESS. 

ANNIE  FOREST  had  scarcely  left  the  room  before 
Miss  Danesbury  appeared  with  a  message  for  Hester, 
who  was  to  come  with  her  directly  to  see  Mrs. 
Willis.  The  poor  shy  girl  felt  only  too  glad  to  leave 
behind  her  the  cruel,  staring,  and  now  by  no  means 
approving  eyes  of  her  schoolmates.  She  had  over- 
heard several  of  their  whispers,  and  felt  rather 
alarmed  at  her  own  act.  But  Hester,  shy  as  she 
was,  could  be  very  tenacious  of  an  idea.  She 
had  taken  a  dislike  to  Annie  Forest,  and  she  was 
quite  determined  to  be  true  to  what  she  considered 
her  convictions — namely,  that  Annie  was  under-bred 
and  common,  and  not  at  all  the  kind  of  girl  whom 
her  mother  would  have  cared  for  her  to  know.  The 
little  girl  followed  Miss  Danesbury  in  silence.  They 
crossed  the  stone  hall  together,  and  now  passing 
through  another  baize  door,  found  themselves  once 
more  in  the  handsome  entrance-hall.  They  walked 
across  this  hall  to  a  door  carefully  protected  from 
all  draughts  by  rich  plush  curtains  and  Miss  Danes- 
bury,  turning  the  handle,  and  going  a  step  or  two 
into  the  room,  said  in  her  gentle  voice: 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  29 

"I  have  brought  Hester  Thornton  to  see  you, 
Mrs.  Willis,  according-  to  your  wish." 

Miss  Danesbury  then  withdrew,  and  Hester  ven- 
tured to  raise  her  eyes  and  to  look  timidly  at  the 
head- mistress. 

A  tall  woman,  with  a  beautiful  face  and  silvery 
white  hair,  came  instantly  to  meet  her,  laid  her  two 
hands  on  the  girl's  shoulders,  and  then,  raising  her 
shy  little  face,  imprinted  a  kiss  on  her  forehead. 

"  Your  mother  was  one  of  my  earliest  pupils, 
Hester,"  she  said,  "  and  you  are — no  " — after  a 
pause,  u  you  are  not  very  like  her.  You  are  her 
child,  however,  my  dear,  and  as  such  you  have  a 
warm  welcome  from  me.  Now,  come  and  sit  by  the 
fire,  and  let  us  talk." 

Hester  did  not  feel  nearly  so  constrained  with 
this  graceful  and  gracious  lady  as  she  had  done  with 
her  schoolmates.  The  atmosphere  of  the  room 
recalled  her  beloved  mother's  boudoir  at  home. 
The  rich  dove-colored  satin  dress,  the  cap  made  of 
Mechlin  lace  which  softened  and  shaded  Mrs. 
Willis'  silvery  hair,  appeared  homelike  to  the  little 
girl,  who  had  grown  up  accustomed  to  all  the 
luxuries  of  wealth.  Above  all,  the  head-mistress* 
mention  of  her  mother  drew  her  heart  toward  the 
beautiful  face,  and  attracted  her  toward  the  rich, 
full  tones  of  a  voice  which  could  be  powerful  and 
commanding  at  will.  Mrs.  Willis,  notwithstanding 
her  white  hair,  had  a  youthful  face,  and  Hester 
made  the  comment  which  came  first  to  her  lips: 

"  I  did  not  think  you  were  old  enough  to  have 
taught  my  mother." 


30  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  I  am  sixty,  dear,  and  I  have  kept  this  school  for 
thirty  years.  Your  mother  was  not  the  only  pupil 
who  sent  her  children  to  be  taught  by  me  when  the 
time  came.  Now,  you  can  sit  on  this  stool  by  the 
fire  and  tell  me  about  your  home.  Your  mother — 
ah,  poor  child,  you  would  rather  not  talk  about  her 
just  yet.  Helen's  daughter  must  have  strong  feel, 
ings — ah,  yes  ;  I  see,  I  see.  Another  time,  darling, 
when  you  know  me  better.  Now  tell  me  about 
your  little  sister,  and  your  father.  You  do  not 
know,  perhaps,  that  I  am  Nan's  godmother  ?" 

After  this  the  head-mistress  and  the  new  pupil 
had  a  long  conversation.  Hester  forgot  her  shy- 
ness ;  her  whole  heart  had  gone  out  instantly  to  this 
beautiful  woman  who  had  known,  and  loved,  and 
taught  her  mother. 

"  I  will  try  to  be  good  at  school,"  she  said  at  last ; 
"  but,  oh,  please,  Mrs.  Willis,  it  does  not  seem  to  me 
to-night  as  if  school-life  could  be  happy." 

"  It  has  its  trials,  Hester  ;  but  the  brave  and  the 
noble  girls  often  find  this  time  of  discipline  one  of 
the  best  in  their  lives — good  at  the  time,  very  good 
to  look  back  on  by-and-by.  You  will  find  a  minia- 
ture world  around  you ;  you  will  be  surrounded  by 
temptations;  and  you  will  have  rare  chances  of 
proving  whether  your  character  can  be  strong  and 
great  and  true.  I  think,  as  a  rule,  my  girls  are 
happy,  and  as  a  rule  they  turn  out  well.  The  great 
motto  of  life  here,  Hester,  is  earnestness.  We  are 
earnest  in  our  work,  we  are  earnest  in  our  play.  A 
half-hearted  girl  has  no  chance  at  Lavender  House. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  31 

In  play -time,  laugh  with  the  merriest,  my  child  ;  in 
school-hours,  study  with  the  most  studious.  Do  you 
understand  me  ?" 

"  I  try  to,  a  little,"  said  Hester,  "  but  it  seems  all 
very  strange  just  now." 

"  No  doubt  it  does,  and  at  first  you  will  have  to 
encounter  many  perplexities  and  to  fight  many 
battles.  Never  mind,  if  you  have  the  right  spirit 
within  you,  you  will  come  out  on  the  winning  side. 
Now,  tell  me,  have  you  made  any  acquaintances  as 
yet  among  the  girls  ?" 

"  Yes — Cecil  Temple  has  been  kind  to  me." 

"  Cecil  is  one  of  my  dearest  pupils  ;  cultivate  her 
friendship,  Hester — she  is  honorable,  she  is  sympa- 
thizing. I  am  not  afraid  to  say  that  Cecil  has  a 
great  heart." 

"  There  is  another  girl,"  continued  Hester  "  who 
has  spoken  to  me.  I  need  not  make  her  my  friend, 
need  I  ?" 

"  Who  is  she,  dear  ?" 

"  Miss  Forest— I  don't  like  her." 

"  What !  our  school  favorite.  You  will  change 
your  mind,  I  expect — but  that  is  the  gong  for 
prayers.  You  shall  come  with  me  to  chapel,  to- 
night, and  I  will  introduce  you  to  Mr.  Eyerard." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"  I    AM    UNHAPPY." 

BETWEEN  forty  and  fifty  young  girls  assembled 
night  and  morning  for  prayers  in  the  pretty  chapel 
which  adjoined  Lavender  House.  This  chapel  had 
been  reconstructed  from  the  ruins  of  an  ancient 
priory,  on  the  site  of  which  the  house  was  built. 
The  walls,  and  even  the  beautiful  eastern  window, 
belonged  to  a  far-off  date.  The  roof  had  been  care- 
fully reared  in  accordance  with  the  style  of  the  east 
window,  and  the  whole  effect  was  beautiful  and  im- 
pressive. Mrs.  Willis  was  particularly  fond  of  her 
own  chapel.  Here  she  hoped  the  girl's  best  lessons 
might  be  learned,  and  here  she  had  even  once  or  twice 
brought  a  refractory  pupil,  and  tried  what  a  gentle 
word  or  two  spoken  in  these  old  and  sacred  walls 
might  effect.  Here,  on  wet  Sundays  the  girls 
assembled  for  service  ;  and  here,  every  evening  at 
nine  o'clock,  came  the  vicar  of  the  large  parish  to 
which  Lavender  House  belonged,  to  conduct  even- 
ing prayers.  He  was  an  old  man,  and  a  great  friend 
of  Mrs.  Willis',  and  he  often  told  her  that  he  con- 
sidered these  young  girls  some  of  the  most  impor- 
tant members  of  his  flock. 

Here  Hester  knelt  to-night.      It  is  to  be  doubted 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  33 

whether  in  her  confusion,  and  in  the  strange  loneli- 
ness which  even  Mrs.  Willis  had  scarcely  removed, 
she  prayed  much.  It  is  certain  she  did  not  join  in 
the  evening  hymn,  which,  with  the  aid  of  an  organ 
and  some  sweet  girl-voices,  was  beautifully  and 
almost  pathetically  rendered.  After  evening 
prayers  had  come  to  an  end,  Mrs.  Willis  took 
Hester's  hand  and  led  her  up  to  the  old,  white- 
headed  vicar. 

"  This  is  my  new  pupil,  Mr.  Everard,  or  rather  I 
should  say,  our  new  pupil.  Her  education  depends 
as  much  on  you  as  on  me." 

The  vicar  held  out  his  hands,  and  took  Hester's 
within  them,  and  then  drew  her  forward  to  the 
light. 

"  This  little  face  does  not  seem  quite  strange  to 
me,"  he  said.  "  Have  I  ever  seen  you  before,  my 
dear  ?" 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  Hester. 

"You  have  seen  her  mother,"  said  Mrs.  Willis — 
"Do  you  remember  your  favorite  pupil,  Helen 
Anstey,  of  long  ago  ?" 

"  Ah  !  indeed — indeed  !  I  shall  never  forget  Helen. 
And  are  you  her  child,  little  one  ?" 

But  Hester's  face  had  grown  white.  The  solemn 
service  in  the  chapel,  joined  to  all  the  excitement 
and  anxieties  of  the  day,  had  strung  up  her  sensitive 
nerves  to  a  pitch  higher  than  she  could  endure. 
Suddenly,  as  the  vicar  spoke  to  her,  and  Mrs.  Willis 
looked  kindly  down  at  her  new  pupil,  the  chapel 
seemed  to  reel  round,  the  pupils  one  by  one  disap- 


34  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

peared,  and  the  tired  girl  only  saved  herself  from 
fainting  by  a  sudden  burst  of  tears. 

"  Oh,  I  am  unhappy,"  she  sobbed,  "  without  my 
mother !  Please,  please,  don't  talk  to  me  about  my 
mother." 

She  could  scarcely  take  in  the  gentle  words  which 
her  two  friends  said  to  her,  and  she  hardly  noticed 
when  Mrs.  Willis  did  such  a  wonderful  thing  as  to 
stoop  down  and  kiss  a  second  time  the  lips  of  a  new 
pupil. 

Finally  she  found  herself  consigned  to  Miss 
Danesbury's  care,  who  hurried  her  off  to  her  room, 
and  helped  her  to  undress  and  tucked  her  into  her 
little  bed. 

"  Now,  love,  you  shall  have  some  hot  gruel.  No, 
not  a  word.  You  ate  little  or  no  tea  to-night — I 
watched  you  from  my  distant  table.  Half  your 
loneliness  is  caused  by  want  of  food — I  know  it,  my 
love  ;  I  am  a  very  practical  person.  Now,  eat  your 
gruel,  and  then  shut  your  eyes  and  go  to  sleep." 

"  You  are  very  kind  to  me,"  said  Hester,  "and  so 
is  Mrs.  Willis,  and  so  is  Mr.  Everard,  and  I  like  Cecil 
Temple — but,  oh,  I  wish  Annie  Forest  was  not  in 
the  school !" 

"  Hush,  my  dear,  I  implore  of  you.  You  pain  me 
by  these  words.  I  am  quite  confident  that  Annie 
will  be  your  best  friend  yet." 

Hester's  lips  said  nothing,  but  her  eyes  answered 
"  Never  "  as  plainly  as  eyes  could  speak. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  35 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A      DAY      AT      SCHOOL. 

IP  Hester  Thornton  went  to  sleep  that  night 
under  a  sort  of  dreamy,  hazy  impression  that  school 
was  a  place  without  a  great  deal  of  order,  with 
many  kind  and  sympathizing  faces,  and  with  some 
not  so  agreeable  ;  if  she  went  to  sleep  under  the  im- 
pression that  she  had  dropped  into  a  sort  of  medley, 
that  she  had  found  herself  in  a  vast  new  world 
where  certain  personages  exercised  undoubtedly  a 
strong  moral  influence,  but  where  on  the  whole  a 
number  of  other  people  did  pretty  much  what  they 
pleased — she  woke  in  the  morning  to  find  her  pre- 
conceived ideas  scattered  to  the  four  winds. 

There  was  nothing  of  apparent  liberty  about  the 
Lavender  House  arrangements  in  the  early  morning 
hours.  In  the  first  place,  it  seemed  quite  the  middle 
of  the  night  when  Hester  was  awakened  by  a  loud 
gong,  which  clanged  through  the  house  and  caused 
her  to  sit  up  in  bed  in  a  considerable  state  of  fright 
and  perplexity.  A  moment  or  two  later  a  neatly- 
dressed  maid-servant  came  into  the  room  with  a 
can  of  hot  water ;  she  lit  a  pair  of  candles  on  the 
mantle-piece,  and,  with  the  remark  that  the  second 
gong  would  sound  in  half  an  hour,  and  that  all  the 


36  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS 

young  ladies  would  be  expected  to  assemble  in  the 
chaple  at  seven  o'clock  precisely,  she  left  the  room. 

Hester  pulled  her  pretty  little  gold  watch  from 
under  her  pillow,  and  saw  with  a  sigh  that  it  was 
now  half -past  six. 

"What  odious  hours  they  keep  in  this  horrid 
place  !"  she  said  to  herself.  "  Well,  well,  I  always 
did  know  that  school  would  be  unendurable." 

She  waited  for  five  minutes  before  she  got  up,  and 
then  she  dressed  herself  languidly,  and,  if  the  truth 
must  be  told,  in  a  very  untidy  fashion.  She  man- 
aged to  be  dressed  by  the  time  the  second  gong 
sounded,  but  she  had  only  one  moment  to  give  to 
her  private  prayers.  She  reflected,  however,  that  this 
did  not  greatly  matter  as  she  was  going  down  to 
prayers  immediately  in  the  chapel. 

The  service  in  the  chapel  the  night  before  had 
impressed  her  more  deeply  than  she  cared  to  own, 
and  she  followed  her  companions  down  stairs  with  a 
certain  feeling  of  pleasure  at  the  thought  of  again 
seeing  Mr.  Everard  and  Mrs.  Willis.  She  wondered 
if  they  would  take  much  notice  of  her  this  morning, 
and  she  thought  it  just  possible  that  Mr.  Everard, 
who  had  looked  at  her  so  compassionately  the  night 
before,  might  be  induced,  for  the  sake  of  his  old 
friendship  with  her  mother,  to  take  her  home  with 
him  to  spend  the  day.  She  thought  she  would  rather 
like  to  spend  a  day  with  Mr.  Everard,  and  she  fan- 
cied he  was  the  sort  of  person  who  would  influence 
her  and  help  her  to  be  good.  Hester  fancied  that  if 
some  very  interesting  and  quite  out  of  the  common 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  3? 

person  took  her  in  hand,  she  might  be  formed  into 
something  extremely  noble — noble  enough  even  to 
forgive  Annie  Forest. 

The  girls  all  filed  into  the  chapel,  which  was 
lighted  as  brightly  and  cheerily  as  the  night  before  ; 
but  Hester  found  herself  placed  on  a  bench  far  down 
in  the  building.  She  was  no  longer  in  the  place  of 
honor  by  Mrs.  Willis'  side.  She  was  one  of  a 
number,  and  no  one  looked  particularly  at  her  or 
noticed  her  in  any  way.  A  t:!iy  young  curate  read 
the  morning  prayers  ;  Mr.  Everard  was  not  present, 
and  Mrs.  Willis,  who  was,  walked  out  of  the  chapel 
when  prayers  were  over  without  even  glancing  in 
Hester's  direction.  This  was  bad  enough  for  the 
poor  little  dreamer  of  dreams,  but  worse  was  to 
follow. 

Mrs.  Willis  did  not  speak  to  Hester,  but  she  did 
stop  for  an  instant  beside  Annie  Forest.  Hester  saw 
her  lay  her  white  hand  on  the  young  girl's  shoulder 
and  whisper  for  an  instant  in  her  ear.  Annie's 
lovely  gypsy  face  flushed  a  vivid  crimson. 

"  For  your  sake,  darling,"  she  whispered  back  ;  but 
Hester  caught  the  words,  and  was  consumed  by  a 
fierce  jealousy. 

The  girls  went  into  the  school-room,  where  Mdlle. 
Perier  gave  a  French  lesson  to  the  upper  class. 
Hester  belonged  to  no  class  at  present,  and  could 
look  around  her,  and  have  plenty  of  time  to  reflect 
on  her  own  miseries,  and  particularly  on  what  she 
now  considered  the  favoritism  shown  by  Mrs, 
Willis. 


38  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Mr.  Everard  at  least  will  read  through  that  girl," 
she  said  to  herself  ;  "  he  could  not  possibly  endure 
any  one  so  loud.  Yes,  I  am  sure  that  my  only  friend 
at  home,  Cecilia  Day,  would  call  Annie  very  loud. 
I  wonder  Mrs.  Willis  can  endure  her.  Mrs.  Willis 
seems  so  ladylike  herself,  but — Oh,  I  beg  your  par- 
don, what's  the  matter  ?" 

A  very  sharp  voice  had  addressed  itself  to  the 
idle  Hester. 

"  But,  mademoiselle,  you  are  doing  nothing ! 
This  cannot  for  a  moment  be  permitted.  Pardon- 
nez-moi,  you  know  not  the  French  ?  Here  is  a  little 
easy  lesson.  Study  it,  mademoiselle,  and  do  not  let 
your  eyes  wander  a  moment  from  the  page." 

Hester  favored  Mdlle.  Perier  with  a  look  of  lofty 
contempt,  but  she  received  the  well-thumbed  lesson- 
book  in  absolute  silence. 

At  eight  o'clock  came  breakfast,  which  was 
nicely  served,  and  was  very  good  and  abundant. 
Hester  was  thoroughly  hungry  this  morning,  and 
did  not  feel  so  shy  as  the  night  before.  She  found 
herself  seated  between  two  strange  girls,  who  talked 
to  her  a  little  and  would  have  made  themselves 
friendly  had  she  at  all  encouraged  them  to  do  so. 
After  breakfast  came  half  an  hour's  recreation,  when, 
the  weather  being  very  bad,  the  girls  again  assem- 
bled in  the  cozy  play-room.  Hester  looked  round 
eagerly  for  Cecil  Temple,  who  greeted  her  with  a 
kind  smile,  but  did  not  ask  her  into  her  enclosure. 
Annie  Forest  was  not  present,  and  Hester  breathed 
a  sigh  of  relief  at  her  absence.  The  half-hour 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  39 

devoted  to  recreation  proved  rather  dull  to  the  new- 
comer. Hester  could  not  understand  her  present 
world.  To  the  girl  who  had  been  brought  up 
practically  as  an  only  child  in  the  warm  shelter  of 
a  home,  the  ways  and  doings  of  school-girl  life  were 
an  obsolute  enigma. 

Hester  had  no  idea  of  unbending  or  of  making 
herself  agreeable.  The  girls  voted  her  to  one 
another  stiff  and  tiresome,  and  quickly  left  her  to 
her  own  devices.  She  looked  longingly  at  Cecil 
Temple  ;  but  Cecil,  who  could  never  be  knowingly 
unkind  to  any  one,  was  seizing  the  precious  moments 
to  write  a  letter  to  her  father,  and  Hester  presently 
wandered  down  the  room  and  tried  to  take  an  inter- 
est in  the  little  ones.  From  twelve  to  fifteen  quite 
little  children  were  in  the  school,  and  Hester  won- 
dered with  a  sort  of  vague  half-pain  if  she  might 
see  any  child  among  the  group  the  least  like  Nan. 

"  They  will  like  to  have  me  with  them,"  she  said 
to  herself.  "  Poor  little  dots,  they  always  like  big 
girls  to  notice  them,  and  didn't  they  make  a  fuss 
about  Miss  Forest  last  night  !  Well,  Nan  is  fond 
enough  of  me,  and  little  children  find  out  so  quickly 
what  one  is  really  like." 

Hester  walked  boldly  into  the  group.  The  little 
dots  were  all  as  busy  as  bees,  were  not  the  least 
lonely,  or  the  least  shy,  and  very  plainly  gave  the 
intruder  to  understand  that  they  would  prefer  her 
room  to  her  company.  Hester  was  not  proud  with 
little  children — she  loved  them  dearly.  Some  of 
the  smaller  ones  in  question  were  beautiful  little 


40  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

creatures,  and  her  heart  warmed  to  them  for  Nan's 
sake.  She  could  not  stoop  to  conciliate  the  older 
girls,  but  she  could  make  an  effort  with  the  babies. 
She  knelt  on  the  floor  and  took  up  a  headless  doll. 

"  I  know  a  little  girl  who  had  a  doll  like  that," 
she  said.  Here  she  paused  and  several  pairs  of  eyes 
were  fixed  on  her. 

"  Poor  dolly's  b'oke,"  said  the  owner  of  the  head- 
less one  in  a  tone  of  deep  conrjiiseration. 

"  You  are  such  a  breaker,  you  know,  Annie,"  said 
Annie's  little  five-year-old  sister. 

"  Please  tell  us  about  the  little  girl  what  had  the 
doll  wifout  the  head,"  she  proceeded,  glancing  at 
Hester. 

"  Oh,  it  was  taken  to  a  hospital,  and  got  back  its 
head,"  said  Hester  quite  cheerfully  ;  "  it  became 
quite  well  again,  and  was  a  more  beautiful  doll  than 
ever." 

This  announcement  caused  intense  wonder  and 
was  certainly  carrying  the  interest  of  all  the  little 
ones.  Hester  was  deciding  that  the  child  who  pos- 
sessed the  headless  doll  had  a  look  of  Nan  about  her 
dark  brown  eyes,  when  suddenly  there  was  a  diver- 
sion— the  play-room  door  was  opened  noisily,  banged- 
to  with  a  very  loud  report,  and  a  gay  voice  sang 
out : 

"  The  fairy  queen  has  just  paid  me  a  visit.  Who 
wants  sweeties  from  the  fairy  queen  ?" 

Instantly  all  the  little  feet  had  scrambled  to  the 
perpendicular,  each  pair  of  hands  was  clapped  nois- 
ily, each  little  throat  shouted  a  joyful : 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  41 

"  Here  comes  Annie  !" 

Annie  Forest  was  surrounded,  and  Hester  knelt 
alone  on  the  hearth-rug. 

She  felt  herself  coloring  painfully — she  did  not 
fail  to  observe  that  two  laughing  eyes  had  fixed 
themselves  with  a  momentary  triumph  on  her  face ; 
then,  snatching  up  a  book,  which  happened  to  lie 
close,  she  seated  herself  with  her  back  to  all  the 
girls,  and  her  head  bent  over  the  page.  It  is  quite 
doubtful  whether  she  saw  any  or  the  words,  but  she 
was  at  least  determined  not  to  cry. 

The  half -hour  so  wearisome  to  poor  Hester  came 
to  an  end,  and  the  girls,  conducted  by  Miss  Danes- 
bury,  filed  into  the  school-room  and  took  their  places 
in  the  different  classes. 

Work  had  now  begun  in  serious  earnest.  The 
school-room  presented  an  animated  and  busy  scene. 
The  young  faces  with  their  varying  expressions  be- 
tokened on  the  whole  the  preponderance  of  an 
earnest  spirit.  Discipline,  not  too  severe,  reigned 
triumphant. 

Hester  was  not  yet  appointed  to  any  place 
among  these  busy  workers,  but  while  she  stood 
wondering,  a  little  confused,  and  half  intending  to 
drop  into  an  empty  seat  which  happened  to  be  close, 
Miss  Danesbury  came  up  to  her. 

"Follow  me,  Miss  Thornton,"  she  said,  and  she 
conducted  the  young  girl  up  the  whole  length  of  the 
great  school-room,  and  pushed  aside  some  baize  cur« 
tains  which  concealed  a  second  smaller  room,  where 
Mrs.  Willis  sat  before  a  desk. 


42  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

The  head-mistress  was  no  longer  dressed  in  soft 
pearl-gray  and  Mechlin  lace.  She  wore  a  black  silk 
dress,  and  her  white  cap  seemed  to  Hester  to  add  a 
severe  tone  to  her  features.  She  neither  shook  hands 
with  the  new  pupil  nor  kissed  her,  but  said  instantly 
in  a  bright  though  authoritative  tone  : 

"  I  must  now  find  out  as  quickly  as  possible  what 
you  know,  Hester,  in  order  to  place  you  in  the  most 
suitable  class." 

Hester  was  a  clever  girl,  and  passed  through  the 
ordeal  of  a  rather  stiff  examination  with  considera- 
ble ability.  Mrs.  Willis  pronounced  her  English  and 
general  information  quite  up  to  the  usual  standard 
for  girls  of  her  age — her  French  was  deficient,  but 
she  showed  some  talent  for  German. 

"  On  the  whole  I  am  pleased  with  your  general 
intelligence,  and  I  think  you  have  good  capacities, 
Hester,"  she  said  in  conclusion.  "  I  shall  ask  Miss 
Good,  our  very  accomplished  English  teacher,  to 
place  you  in  the  third  class.  You  will  have  to  work 
very  hard,  however,  at  your  French,  to  maintain 
your  place  there.  But  Mdlle.  Perier  is  kind  and 
painstaking,  and  it  rests  with  yourself  to  quickly 
acquire  a  conversational  acquaintance  with  the  lan- 
guage. You  are  aware  that,  except  during  recrea- 
tion, you  are  never  allowed  to  speak  in  any  other 
tongue.  Now,  go  back  to  the  school-room,  my  dear." 

As  Mrs.  Willis  spoke  she  laid  her  finger  on  a  lit- 
tle silver  gong  which  stood  by  her  side. 

"One  moment,  please,"  said  Hester,  coloring 
crimson  ;  "  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question,  please." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  43 

"  Is  it  about  your  lessons  ?" 

"  No — oh,  no  ;  it  is " 

"  Then  pardon  me,  my  dear,"  uttered  the  gover- 
ness ;  "  I  sit  in  my  room  every  evening  from  eight  to 
half -past,  and  I  am  then  at  liberty  to  see  a  pupil  on 
any  subject  which  is  not  trifling.  Nothing  but 
lessons  are  spoken  of  in  lesson  hours,  Hester.  Ah, 
here  comes  Miss  Good.  Miss  Good,  I  should  wish 
you  to  place  Hester  Thornton  in  the  third  class. 
Her  English  is  up  to  the  average.  I  will  see  Mdlle. 
Perier  about  her  at  twelve  o'clock." 

Hester  followed  the  English  teacher  into  the  great 
school-room,  took  her  place  in  the  third  class,  at  the 
desk  which  was  pointed  out  to  her,  was  given  a  pile 
of  new  books,  and  was  asked  to  attend  to  the  history 
lesson  whicn  was  then  going  on. 

Notwithstanding  her  confusion,  a  certain  sense  of 
soreness,  and  some  indignation  at  what  she  con- 
sidered Mrs.  Willis'  altered  manner,  she  acquitted 
herself  with  considerable  spirit,  and  was  pleased  to 
see  that  her  class  companions  regarded  her  with  some 
respect.; 

An  English  literature  lecture  followed  the  history, 
and  here  again  Hester  acquitted  herself  with  tclat. 
The  subject  to-day  was  "Julius  Caesar,"  and  Hester 
had  read  Shakespeare's  play  over  many  times  with 
her  mother. 

But  when  the  hour  came  for  foreign  languages, 
her  brief  triumph  ceased.  Lower  and  lower  did  she- 
fall  in  her  schoolfellow's  estimation  as  she  stumbled 
through  her  truly  English-French.  Mdlle.  Perier, 


44  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

who  was  a  very  fiery  little  woman,  almost  screamed 
^t  her — the  girls  colored  and  nearly  tittered. 
Hester  hoped  to  recover  her  lost  laurels  in  German, 
but  by  this  time  her  head  ached  and  she  did  very 
little  better  in  the  German  which  she  loved  than  hi 
the  French  which  she  detested.  At  twelve  o'clock 
she  was  relieved  to  find  that  school  was  over  for  the 
present,  and  she  heard  the  English  teacher's  voice 
desiring  the  girls  to  go  quickly  to  their  rooms,  and 
to  assemble  in  five  minutes'  time  in  the  great  stone 
hall,  equipped  for  their  walk. 

The  walk  lasted  for  a  little  over  an  hour,  and  was 
a  very  dreary  penance  to  poor  Hester,  as  she  was 
neither  allowed  to  run,  race,  nor  talk  a  word  of 
English.  She  sighed  heavily  once  or  twice,  and 
several  of  the  girls  who  looked  at  her  curiously 
agreed  with  Annie  Forest  that  she  was  decidedly 
.  sulky.  The  walk  was  followed  by  dinner ;  then 
came  half  an  hour  of  recreation  in  the  delightful 
play-room,  and  eager  chattering  in  the  English 
tongue. 

At  three  o'clock  the  school  assembled  once  more  ; 
but  now  the  studies  were  of  a  less  severe  character, 
and  Hester  spent  one  of  her  first  happy  half-hours 
over  a  drawing  lesson.  She  had  a  great  love  for 
drawing,  and  felt  some  pride  in  the  really  beautiful 
copy  which  she  was  making  of  the  stump  of  an  old 
gnarled  oak-tree.  Her  dismay,  however,  was  pro- 
portionately great  when  the  drawing-master  drew 
his  pencil  right  across  her  copy. 

"  I  particularly  requested  you  not  to  sketch  in  any 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  45 

of  the  shadows,  Miss  Thornton.  Did  you  not  hear 
me  say  that  my  lesson  to-day  was  in  outline  ?  I  gave 
you  a  shaded  piece  to  copy  in  outline — did  you  not 
understand  ?" 

"  This  is  my  first  day  at  school,"  whispered  back 
poor  Hester,  speaking  in  English  in  her  distress. 
Whereupon  the  master  smiled,  and  even  forgot  to 
report  her  for  her  transgression  of  the  French 
tongue. 

Hester  spent  the  rest  of  that  afternoon  over  her 
music  lesson.  The  music-master  was  an  irascible 
little  German,  but  Hester  played  with  some  taste, 
and  was  therefore  not  too  severely  rapped  over  the 
knuckles. 

Then  came  tea  and  another  half-hour  of  recrea- 
tion, which  was  followed  by  two  silent  hours  in  the 
school-room,  each  girl  bent  busily  over  her  books  in 
preparation  for  the  next  day's  work.  Hester  studied 
hard,  for  she  had  made  up  her  mind  to  be  the  intel- 
lectual prodigy  of  the  school.  Even  on  this  first 
day,  miserable  as  it  was,  she  had  won  a  few  plaudits 
for  her  quickness  and  powers  of  observation.  How 
much  better  could  she  work  when  she  had  really 
fallen  into  the  tone  of  the  school,  and  understood 
the  lessons  which  she  was  now  so  carefully  prepar- 
ing !  During  her  busy  day  she  had  failed  to  notice 
one  thing :  namely,  the  absence  of  Annie  Forest. 
Annie  had  not  been  in  the  school-room,  had  not 
been  in  the  play-room  ;  but  now,  as  the  clock  struck 
eight,  she  entered  the  school-room  with  a  listless 
expression,  and  took  her  place  in  the  same  class 


46  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

with  Hester.  Her  eyes  were  heavy,  as  if  she  had 
been  crying,  and  when  a  companion  touched  her 
and  gave  her  a  sympathizing  glance,  she  shook  her 
head  with  a  sorrowful  gesture,  but  did  not  speak. 
Glasses  of  milk  and  slices  of  bread  and  butter  were 
now  handed  round  to  the  girls,  and  Miss  Danesbury 
asked  if  any  one  would  like  to  see  Mrs.  Willis  before 
prayers.  Hester  half  sprang  to  her  feet,  but  then 
sat  down  again.  Mrs.  Willis  had  annoyed  her  by 
refusing  to  break  her  rules  and  answer  her  question 
during  lesson  hours.  No,  the  silly  child  resolved 
that  she  would  not  trouble  Mrs.  Willis  now. 

"  No  one  to-night,  then  ?"  said  Miss  Danesbury, 
who  had  noticed  Hester's  movement. 

Suddenly  Annie  Forest  sprang  to  her  feet. 

"  I'm  going,  Miss  Danesbury,"  she  said.  "  You 
need  not  show  me  the  way  ;  I  can  find  it  alone." 

With  her  short,  curly  hair  falling  about  her  face, 
sfoe  ran  out  of  the  room. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  47 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"YOU    HAVE    WAKED    ME    TOO    SOON." 

WHEN  Hester  reached  her  bedroom  after  prayers 
on  that  second  evening,  she  was  dismayed  to  find 
that  she  no  longer  could  consider  the  pretty  little 
bedroom  her  own.  It  had  not  only  an  occupant, 
but  an  occupant  who  had  left  untidy  traces  of  her 
presence  on  the  floor,  for  a  stocking  lay  in  one  direc- 
tion and  a  muddy  boot  sprawled  in  another.  The 
newcomer  had  herself  got  into  bed,  where  she  lay 
with  a  quantity  of  red  hair  tossed  about  on  the  pil- 
low, and  a  heavy  freckled  face  turned  upward,  with 
the  eyes  shut  and  the  mouth  slightly  open. 

As  Hester  entered  the  room,  from  these  parted 
lips  came  unmistakable  and  loud  snores.  She  stood 
still  dismayed. 

"How  terrible!"  she  said  to  herself;  "oh,  what 
a  girl !  I  cannot  sleep  in  the  room  with  any  one  who 
snores — I  really  cannot !" 

She  stood  perfectly  still,  with  her  hands  clasped 
before  her,  and  her  eyes  fixed  with  almost  ludicrous 
dismay  on  this  unexpected  trial.  As  she  gazed,  a 
fresh  discovery  caused  her  to  utter  an  exclamation 
of  horror  aloud. 

The  newcomer  had  curled  herself  up  comfortably 


48  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

in  her  bed.  Suddenly,  to  her  surprise,  a  voice  said 
very  quietly,  without  a  flicker  of  expression  coming 
over  the  calm  face,  or  the  eyes  even  making  an 
effort  to  open  : 

"  Are  you  my  new  schoolmate  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Hester,  "  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  am." 

"  Oh,  don't  be  sorry,  there's  a  good  creature ; 
there's  nothing  to  be  sorry  about.  I'll  stop  snoring 
when  I  turn  on  my  side — it's  all  right.  I  always 
snore  for  half  an  hour  to  rest  my  back,  and  the 
time  is  nearly  up.  Don't  trouble  me  to  open  my 
eyes,  I  am  not  the  least  curious  to  see  you.  You 
have  a  cross  voice,  but  you'll  get  used  to  me  after  a 
bit." 

"  But  you're  in  my  bed,"  said  Hester.  "  Will  you 
please  to  get  into  your  own  ?" 

"  Oh,  no,  don't  ask  me  ;  I  like  your  bed  best.  I 
slept  in  it  the  whole  of  last  term.  I  changed  the 
sheets  myself,  so  it  does  not  matter.  Do  you  mind 
putting  my  muddy  boots  outside  the  door,  and 
folding  up  my  stockings  ?  I  forgot  them,  and  I 
shall  have  a  bad  mark  if  Danesbury  comes  in. 
Good-night — I'm  turning  on  my  side — I  won't  snore 
any  more." 

The  heavy  face  was  now  only  seen  in  profile,  and 
Hester,  knowing  that  Miss  Danesbury  would  soon 
appear  to  put  out  the  candle,  had  to  hurry  into  the 
other  bed  as  fast  as  she  could  ;  something  impelled 
her,  however,  to  take  up  the  muddy  boots  with  two 
very  gingerly  fingers,  and  place  them  outside  the 
•door. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  491 

She  slept  better  this  second  night,  and  was  not 
quite  so  startled  the  next  morning-  when  the  remorse- 
less  gong  aroused  her  from  slumber.  The  maid- 
servant came  in  as  usual  to  light  the  candles,  and  to 
place  two  cans  of  hot  water  by  the  two  wash -hand1 
stands. 

"  You  are  awake,  miss  ?"  she  said  to  Hester. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  replied  Hester  almost  cheerfully. 

"  Well,  that's  all  right,"  said  the  servant.  "  Now 
I  must  try  and  rouse  Miss  Drummond,  and  she 
always  takes  a  deal  of  waking  ;  and  if  you  don't 
mind,  miss,  it  will  be  an  act  of  kindness  to  call  out 
to  her  in  the  middle  of  your  own  dressing — that  is, 
if  I  don't  wake  her  effectual." 

With  these  words,  the  housemaid  approached 
the  bed  where  the  red-haired  girl  lay  again  on  her 
back,  and  again  snoring  loudly. 

"  Miss  Drummond,  wake,  miss  ;  it's  half -past  six.. 
Wake  up,  miss — I  have  brought  you  hot  water." 

"  Eh  ? — what  ?"  said  the  voice  in  the  bed,  sleepily  j 
"  don't  bother  me,  Hannah — I — I've  determined  not 
to  ride  this  morning ;  go  away " — then  more 
sleepily,  and  in  a  lower  key,  "  Tell  Percy  he  can't 
bring  the  dogs  in  here." 

"I  ain't  neither  your  Hannah,  nor  your  Percy,, 
nor  one  of  the  dogs,"  replied  the  rather  irate  Alice. 
"  There,  get  up,  miss,  do.  I  never  see  such  a 
young  lady  for  sleeping — never." 

"I  won't  be  bothered,"  said  the  occupant  of  the 
bed,  and  now  she  turned  deliberately  on  her  side 
and  snored  more  loudly  than  ever. 


50  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  There's  no  help  for  it,"  said  Alice  :  "  I  have  to 
do  it  nearly  every  morning,  so  don't  you  be  startled, 
miss.  Poor  thing,  she  would  never  have  a  good 
conduct  mark  but  for  me.  Now  then,  here  goes. 
You  needen't  be  frightened,  miss — she  don't  mind  it 
the  least  bit  in  the  world." 

Here  Alice  seized  a  rough  Turkish  towel,  placed 
it  under  the  sleepy  head  with  its  shock  of  red  hair, 
and,  dipping  a  sponge  in  a  basin  of  icy  cold  water, 
dashed  it  on  the  white  face. 

This  remedy  proved  effectual :  two  large  pale  blue 
eyes  opened  wide,  a  voice  said  in  a  tranquil  and  un- 
moved tone : 

"Oh,  thank  you,  Alice.  So  I'm  back  at  this 
horrid  detestable  school  again  !" 

"Get  your  feet  well  on  the  carpet,  Miss  Drum- 
mond,  before  you  falls  off  again,"  said  the  servant. 
"  Now  then,  you'd  better  get  dressed  as  fast  as 
possible,  miss — you  have  lost  five  minutes  already." 

Hester,  who  had  laughed  immoderately  during 
this  little  scene,  was  already  up  and  going  through 
the  processes  of  her  toilet.  Miss  Drummond,  seated 
on  the  edge  of  her  bed,  regarded  her  with  sleepy 
eyes. 

"  So  you  are  my  new  room-mate  ?"  she  said. 
"  What's  your  name  ?" 

"  Hester  Thornton,"  replied  Hetty  with  dignity. 

"Oh — I'm  Susy  Drummond — you  may  call  me 
Susy  if  you  like." 

Hester  made  no  response  to  this  gracious  in  vita- 
tion. 


A    WORLD  OF"  GIRLS.  51 

Miss  Drummond  sat  motionless,  gazing  down  at 
her  toes. 

"  Had  not  you  better  get  dressed  ?"  said  Hester 
after  a  long  pause,  for  she  really  feared  the  young 
lady  would  fall  asleep  where  she  was  sitting. 

Miss  Drummond  started. 

"  Dressed  !  So  I  will,  dear  creature.  Have  the 
sweet  goodness  to  hand  me  my  clothes." 

"  Where  are  they  ?"  asked  Hester  rather  crossly, 
for  she  did  not  care  to  act  as  lady's-maid. 

"  They  are  over  there,  on  a  chair,  in  that  lovely 
heap  with  a  shawl  flung  over  them.  There,  toss 
them  this  way — I'll  get  into  them  somehow." 

Miss  Drummond  did  manage  to  get  into  her  gar- 
ments ;  but  her  whole  appearance  was  so  heavy  and 
untidy  when  she  was  dressed,  that  Hester  by  the 
very  force  of  contrast  felt  obliged  to  take  extra 
pains  with  her  own  toilet. 

"  Now,  that's  a  comfort,"  said  Susan,  "  I'm  in  my 
clothes.  How  bitter  it  is  !  There's  one  comfort, 
the  chapel  will  be  warm.  I  often  catch  forty  winks 
in  chapel — that  is,  if  I'm  lucky  enough  to  get  behind 
one  of  the  tall  girls,  where  Mrs.  Willis  won't  see 
me.  It  does  seem  to  me,"  continued  Susan  in  a 
meditative  tone,  "  the  strangest  thing  why  girls  are 
not  allowed  sleep  enough." 

Hester  was  pinning  a  clean  collar  round  her  neck 
when  Miss  Drummond  came  up  close,  leaned  over 
the  dressing-table,  and  regarded  her  with  languid 
curiosity. 

"A  penny  for  your  thoughts,  Miss  Prunes  and  Prism." 


52  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Why  do  you  call  me  that,"  said  Hester 
angrily. 

"  Because  you  look  like  it,  sweet.  Now,  don't  be 
cross,  little  pet — no  one  ever  yet  was  cross  with 
sleepy  Susy  Drummond.  Now,  tell  me,  love,  what 
had  you  for  breakfast  yesterday  ?" 

"I'm  sure  I  forget,"  said  Hester. 

"  You  forget  f — how  extraordinary !  You're  sure 
that  it  was  not  buttered  scones  ?  We  have  them 
sometimes,  and  I  tell  you  they  are  enough  even  to 
keep  a  girl  awake.  Well,  at  least  you  can  let  me 
know  if  the  eggs  were  very  stale,  and  the  coffee  very 
weak,  and  whether  the  butter  was  second-rate  Dor- 
set, or  good  and  fresh.  Come  now — my  breakfast 
is  of  immense  importance  to  me,  I  assure  you." 

"  I  dare  say,"  answered  Hester.  "  You  can  see 
for  yourself  this  morning  what  is  on  the  table — I 
can  only  inform  you  that  it  was  good  enough  for 
me,  and  that  I  don't  remember  what  it  was." 

"  Oh,  dear  !"  exclaimed  Susan  Drummond,  "  I'm 
afraid  she  has  a  little  temper  of  her  own — poor  lit' 
tie  room-mate.  I  wonder  if  chocolate-creams  would 
sweeten  that  little  temper." 

"  Please  don't  talk — I'm  going  to  say  my  prayers," 
said  Hester. 

She  did  kneel  down,  and  made  a  slight  effort  to 
ask  God  to  help  her  through  the  day's  work  and  the 
day's  play.  In  consequence,  she  rose  from  her 
knees  with  a  feeling  of  strength  and  sweetness 
which  even  the  feeblest  prayer  when  uttered  in 
earnest  can  alwavs  give. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  53 

The  prayer-gong  now  sounded,  and  all  the  girls 
assembled  in  the  chapel.  Miss  Drummond  was 
greeted  by  many  appreciative  nods,  and  more  than 
one  pair  of  longing  eyes  gazed  in  the  direction  of 
her  pockets,  which  stuck  out  in  the  most  ungainly 
fashion. 

Hester  was  relieved  to  find  that  her  room-mate 
did  not  share  her  class  in  school,  nor  sit  anywhere 
near  her  at  table. 

When  the  half -hour's  recreation  after  breakfast 
arrived,  Hester,  determined  to  be  beholden  to  none 
of  her  schoolmates  for  companionship,  seated  her- 
self comfortably  in  an  easy  chair  with  a  new  book. 
Presently  she  was  startled  by  a  little  stream  of  lolli- 
pops falling  in  a  shower  over  her  head,  down  her 
neck,  and  into  her  lap.  She  started  up  with  an 
expression  of  disgust.  Instantly  Miss  Drummond 
sank  into  the  vacated  chair. 

"Thank  you,  love,"  she  said,  in  a  cozy,  purring 
voice.  "  Eat  your  lollipops,  and  look  at  me ;  I'm 
going  to  sleep.  Please  pull  my  toe  when  Danes- 
bury  comes  in.  Oh,  fie  !  Prunes  and  Prisms — not 
so  cross — eat  your  lollipops  ;  they  will  sweeten  the 
expression  of  that — little — £?ce." 

The  last  words  came  out  drowsily.  As  she  said 
"  face,"  Miss  Drummond's  languid  eyes  were  closed 
—she  was  fast  asleep. 


54  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

WORK    AND    PLAY. 

IN  A  FEW  days  Hester  was  accustomed  to  her  new 
life.  She  fell  into  its  routine,  and  in  a  certain 
measure  won  the  respect  of  her  fellow-pupils.  She 
worked  hard,  and  kept  her  place  in  class,  and  her 
French  became  a  little  more  like  the  French  tongue 
and  a  little  less  like  the  English.  She  showed 
marked  ability  in  many  of  her  other  studies,  and  the 
mistresses  and  masters  spoke  well  of  her.  After  a 
fortnight  spent  at  Lavender  House,  Hester  had  to 
acknowledge  that  the  little  Misses  Bruce  were  right, 
and  that  school  might  be  a  really  enjoyable  place 
for  some  girls.  She  would  not  yet  admit  that  it 
could  be  enjoyable  for  her.  Hester  was  too  shy, 
too  proud,  too  exacting  to  be  popular  with  her 
schoolfellows.  She  knew  nothing  of  school-girl 
life — she  had  aever  learned  the  great  secret  of  suc- 
cess in  all  life's  perplexities,  the  power  to  give  and 
take.  It  never  occurred  to  Hester  to  look  over  a 
hasty  word,  to  take  no  notice  of  an  envious  or 
insolent  look.  As  far  as  her  lessons  were  concerned, 
she  was  doing  well ;  but  the  hardest  lesson  of  all, 
the  training  of  mind  and  character,  which  the  daily 
companionship  of  her  schoolfellows  alone  could 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  55 

give  her,  in  this  lesson  she  was  making  no  way. 
Each  day  she  was  shutting  herself  tip  more  and  more 
from  all  kindly  advances,  and  the  only  one  in  the 
school  whom  she  sincerely  and  cordially  liked  was 
gentle  Cecil  Temple. 

Mrs.  Willis  had  some  ideas  with  regard  to  the 
training  of  her  young  people  which  were  peculiarly 
her  own.  She  had  found  them  successful,  and  dur- 
ing her  thirty  years'  experience,  had  never  seen  rea- 
son to  alter  them.  She  was  determined  to  give  her 
girls  a  great  deal  more  liberty  than  was  ac- 
corded in  most  of  the  boarding-schools  of  her  day. 
She  never  made  what  she  called  impossible  rules ; 
she  allowed  the  girls  full  liberty  to  chatter  in  their 
bedrooms  ;  she  did  not  watch  them  during  play- 
hours  ;  she  never  read  the  letters  they  received,  and 
only  superintended  the  specimen  home  letter  which 
each  girl  was  required  to  write  once  a  month.  Other 
head-mistresses  wondered  at  the  latitude  she  allowed 
her  girls,  but  she  invariably  replied: 

"  I  always  find  it  works  best  to  trust  them.  If  a. 
girl  is  found  to  be  utterly  untrustworthy,  I  don't 
expel  her,  but  I  request  her  parents  to  remove  her 
to  a  more  strict  school." 

Mrs.  Willis  also  believed  much  in  that  quiet  half- 
hour  each  evening,  when  the  girls  who  cared  to 
come  could  talk  to  her  alone.  On  these  occasions 
she  always  dropped  the  school -mistress  and  adopted 
the  role  of  the  mother.  With  a  very  refractory 
pupil  she  spoke  in  the  tenderest  tones  of  remon- 
strance and  affection  at  these  times.  If  her  words 


56  A    WORLD  OF 

failed — if  the  discipl'ne  of  the  day  and  the  gentle 
sympathy  of  these  moments  at  night  did  not  effect 
their  purpose,  she  had  yet  another  expedient — the 
vicar  was  asked  to  see  the  girl  who  would  not  yield 
to  this  motherly  influence. 

Mr.  Everard  had  very  seldom  taken  Mrs.  Willis' 
place.  As  he  said  to  her  :  "  Your  influence  must  be 
the  mainspring.  At  supreme  moments  I  will  helo 
you  with  personal  influence,  but  otherwise,  except 
for  my  nightly  prayers  with  your  girls,  and  my 
weekly  class,  and  the  teachings  which  they  with 
others  hear  from  my  lips  Sunday  after  Sunday,  they 
tad  better  look  to  you." 

The  girls  knew  this  rule  well,  and  the  one  er  two 
rare  instances  in  the  school  history  where  the  vicar 
had  stepped  in  te  interfere,  were  spoken  of  with 
bated  breath  and  with  intense  awe. 

Mrs.  Willis  had  a  great  idea  of  bringing  as  much 
happiness  as  possible  int  j  young  lives.  It  ^as  with 
this  idea  that  she  had  the  quaint  little  compartments 
**ailed  off  in  the  play-room. 

"  For  the  elder  girls,"  she  would  say,  "  there  is  no 
pleasure  so  great  as  having,  however  small  the  spot, 
a  little  liberty  hall  of  their  own.  In  her  compart- 
ment each  girl  is  absolute  monarch.  No  one  can 
enter  inside  the  little  curtained  rail  without  her  per- 
mission. Here  she  can  show  her  individual  taste, 
her  individual  ideas.  Here  she  can  keep  her  most 
prized  possessions.  In  short,  her  compartment  in 
the  play-room  is  a  little  home  to  her." 

The  play-room,  large  as  it  was,  admitted  of  only 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  5? 

cwenty  compartments ;  these  compartments  were 
not  easily  won.  No  amount  of  cleverness  attained 
them  ;  they  were  altogether  dependent  on  conduct. 
No  girl  could  be  the  honorable  owner  of  her  own 
little  drawing-room  until  she  had  distinguished  her- 
self by  some  special  act  of  kindness  and  self -denial. 
Mrs.  Willis  had  no  fixed  rule  on  this  subject.  She 
alone  gave  away  the  compartments,  and  she  often 
made  choice  of  girls  on  whom  she  conferred  this 
honor  in  a  way  which  rather  puzzled  and  surprised 
their  fellows. 

When  the  compartment  was  won  it  was  not  a 
secure  possession.  To  retain  it  depended  also  on 
conduct ;  and  here  again  Mrs.  Willis  was  absolute 
in  her  sway.  More  than  once  the  girls  had  entered 
the  room  in  the  morning  to  find  some  favorite's  fur- 
niture removed  and  her  little  possessions  taken  care- 
fully down  from  the  walls,  the  girl  herself  alone 
knowing  the  reason  for  this  sudden  change.  Annie 
Forest,  -;vho  had  been  at  Lavender  House  for  four 
years,  tad  once,  for  a  solitary  month  of  her  exis- 
'ence,  owned  her  own  special  drawing-room.  She 
had  obtained  it  as  a  reward  for  an  act  of  heroism. 
One  of  the  little  pupils  had  set  her  pinafore  on  fire. 
There  was  no  teacher  present  at  the  moment,  the 
other  girls  had  screamed  and  run  for  help,  but 
Annie,  very  pale,  had  caught  the  little  one  in  her 
arms  and  had  crushed  out  the  flames  with  her  own 
hands.  The  child's  life  was  spared,  the  child  was 
not  even  hurt,  but  Annie  was  in  the  hospital  for  a 
week.  At  the  end  of  a  week  she  returned  to  the 


58  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

school-room  and  play-room  as  the  heroine  of  the 
hour.  Mrs.  Willis  herself  kissed  her  brow,  and  pre- 
sented her  in  the  midst  of  the  approving  smiles  of 
her  companions  with  the  prettiest  drawing-room  of 
the  sets.  Annie  retained  her  honorable  post  for 
one  month. 

Never  did  the  girls  of  Lavender  House  forget  the 
delights  of  that  month.  The  fantastic  arrangements 
of  the  little  drawing-room  filled  them  with  ecsta- 
cies.  Annie  was  truly  Japanese  in  her  style — she 
was  also  intensely  liberal  in  all  her  arrangements. 
In  the  tiny  space  of  this  little  enclosure  wild  pranks 
were  perpetrated,  ceaseless  jokes  made  up.  From 
Annie's  drawing-room  issued  peals  of  exquisite 
mirth.  She  gave  afternoon  tea  from  a  Japenese  set 
of  tea-things.  Outside  her  drawing-room  always 
collected  a  crowd  of  girls,  who  tried  to  peep  over 
the  rail  or  to  draw  aside  the  curtains.  Inside  the 
sacred  spot  certainly  reigned  chaos,  and  one  day 
Miss  Danesbury  had  to  fly  to  the  rescue,  for  in  a  fit 
of  mad  mirth  Annie  herself  had  knocked  down  the 
little  Japanese  tea-table,  the  tea-pot  and  tea-things 
were  in  fragments  on  the  floor,  and  the  tea  and 
milk  poured  in  streams  outside  the  curtains.  Mrs. 
Willis  sent  for  Annie  that  evening,  and  Miss  Forest 
retired  from  her  interview  with  red  eyes  and  a 
meek  expression. 

"Girls,"  she  said,  in  confidence  that  night,  "good- 
bye to  Japan.  I  gave  her  leave  to  do  it — the  care 
of  an  empire  is  more  than  I  can  manage." 

The    next  day  the    Japanese    drawing-room  had 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  5$ 

been  handed  over  to  another  possessor,  and  Annie 
reigned  as  queen  over  her  empire  no  more. 

Mrs.  Willis,  anxious  at  all  times  that  her  girls 
should  be  happy,  made  special  arrangements  for 
their  benefit  on  Sunday.  Sunday  was  by  no  means 
dull  at  Lavender  House — Sunday  was  totally  unlike 
the  six  days  which  followed  it.  Even  the  stupidest 
girl,  could  scarcely  complain  of  the  severity  of  Sun- 
day lessons — even  the  merriest  girl  could  scarcely 
speak  of  the  day  as  dull.  Mrs.  Willis  made  an 
invariable  rule  of  spending  all  Sunday  with  her 
pupils.  On  this  day  she  really  unbent — on  this  day 
she  was  all  during  the  long  hours  what  she  was 
during  the  short  half -hour  on  each  evening  in  the 
week.  On  Sunday  she  neither  reproved  nor 
corrected.  If  punishment  or  correction  were  neces- 
sary, she  deputed  Miss  Good  or  Miss  Danesbury  to 
take  her  place.  On  Sunday  she  sat  with  the  little 
children  round  her  knee,  and  the  older  girls  cluster- 
ing about  her.  Her  gracious  and  motherly  face  was 
like  a  sun  shining  in  the  midst  of  these  young  girls. 
In  short,  she  was  like  the  personified  form  of  Good- 
ness in  their  midst.  It  was  necessary,  therefore, 
that  all  those  who  wished  to  do  right  should  be 
happy  on  Sunday,  and  only  those  few  who  deliber- 
ately preferred  evil  should  shrink  from  the  bright- 
ness of  this  day. 

It  is  astonishing  how  much  a  sympathizing  and 
guiding  spirit  can  effect.  The  girls  at  Lavender 
House  thought  Sunday  the  shortest  day  in  the  week. 
There  were  no  unoccupied  or  dull  moments — school 


60  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

toil  was  forgotten — school  punishment  ceased,  to  be 
resumed  again  if  necessary  on  Monday  morning. 
The  girls  in  their  best  dresses  could  chatter  freely 
in  English — they  could  read  their  favorite  books 
— they  could  wander  about  the  house  as  they 
pleased ;  for  on  Sunday  the  two  baize  doors  were 
always  wide  open,  and  Mrs.  Willis'  own  private 
.suite  of  rooms  was  ready  to  receive  them.  If  the 
«day  was  fine  they  walked  to  Church,  each  choosing 
lier  own  companion  for  the  pleasant  walk ;  if  the 
•day  was  wet  there  was  services  in  the  chapel,  Mr. 
Everard  always  conducting  either  morning  or  even- 
ing prayers.  In  the  afternoon  the  girls  were  allowed 
to  do  pretty  much  as  they  pleased,  but  after  tea 
there  always  came  a  delightful  hour,  when  the  elder 
girls  retired  with  their  mistress  into  her  own  special 
boudoir,  and  she  either  told  them  stories  or  sang  to 
them  as  only  she  could  sing.  At  sixty  years  of  age 
Mrs.  Willis  still  possessed  the  most  sympathetic  and 
touching  voice  those  girls  had  ever  listened  to. 
Hester  Thornton  broke  down  completely  on  her  first 
Sunday  at  Lavender  House  when  she  heard  her 
schoolmistress  sing  "  The  Better  Land."  No  one  re- 
marked on  her  tears,  but  two  people  saw  them  ;  for 
her  mistress  kissed  her  tenderly  that  night,  and 
said  a  few  strong  words  of  help  and  encouragement, 
and  Annie  Forest,  who  made  no  comment,  had  also 
seen  them,  and  wondered  vaguely  if  this  new  and  dis- 
agreeable pupil  had  a  heart  after  all. 

On  Sunday  night  Mrs.  Willis  herself  went  round 
to  each  little  bed  and  gave  a  mother-kiss  to  each  of 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  61 

her  pupils — a  mother-kiss  and  a  murmured  blessing ; 
and  in  many  breasts  resolves  were  then  formed 
which  were  to  help  the  girls  through  the  coming 
week.  Some  of  these  resolves,  made  not  in  their 
own  strength,  bore  fruit  in  long  after-years.  There 
is  no  doubt  that  very  few  girls  who  lived  long 
enough  at  Lavender  House,  ever  in  after-days  found 
their  Sundays  dull. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRL& 


CHAPTER  X. 

VARIETIES. 

WITHOUT  any  doubt,  wild,  naughty,  impulsive 
Annie  Forest  was  the  most  popular  girl  in  the 
school.  She  was  always  in  scrapes — she  was  scarcely 
ever  out  of  hot  water — her  promises  of  amendment 
were  truly  like  the  proverbial  pie-crust ;  but  she 
was  so  lovable,  so  kind-hearted,  so  saucy  and  piq- 
uante  and  pretty,  that  very  few  could  resist  the 
nameless  charm  which  she  possessed.  The  little 
ones  adored  Annie,  who  was  kindness  itself  to  them ; 
the  bigger  girls  could  not  help  admiring  her  fearless- 
ness and  courage  ;  the  best  and  noblest  girls  in  the 
school  tried  to  influence  her  for  good.  She  was 
more  or  less  an  object  of  interest  to  every  one  ;  her 
courage  was  of  just  the  sort  to  captivate  school- 
girls, and  her  moral  weakness  was  not  observed  by 
these  inexperienced  young  eyes. 

Hester  alone,  of  all  the  girls  who  for  a  long  time 
had  come  to  Lavender  House,  failed  to  see  any 
charm  in  Annie.  She  began  by  considering  her 
ill-bred,  and  when  she  found  she  was  the  school 
favorite,  she  tossed  her  proud  little  head  and  deter- 
mined that  she  for  one  would  never  be  subjugated 
by  such  a  naughty  girl.  Hester  could  read  charac- 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  63 

ter  with  tolerable  clearness ;  she  was  an  observant 
child — very  observant,  and  very  thoughtful  for  her 
twelve  years ;  and  as  the  little  witch  Annie  had 
failed  to  throw  any  spell  over  her,  she  saw  her 
faults  far  more  clearly  than  did  her  companions. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  this  brilliant,  charming,  and 
naughty  Annie  had  heaps  of  faults ;  she  had  no 
perseverance ;  she  was  all  passion  and  impulse ; 
she  could  be  the  kindest  of  the  kind,  but  from  sheer 
thoughtlessness  and  wildness  she  often  inflicted 
severe  pain,  even  on  those  she  loved  best.  Annie 
very  nearly  worshiped  Mrs.  Willis  ;  she  had  the  most 
intense  adoration  for  her,  she  respected  her  beyond 
any  other  human  being.  There  were  moments  when 
the  impulsive  and  hot-headed  child  felt  that  she 
could  gladly  lay  down  her  life  for  her  schoolmis- 
tress. Once  the  mistress  was  ill,  and  Annie  curled 
herself  up  all  night  outside  her  door,  thereby  break- 
ing rules,  and  giving  herself  a  severe  cold ;  but 
her  passion  and  agony  were  so  great  that  she  could 
only  be  soothed  by  at  last  stealing  into  the  darkened 
room  and  kissing  the  face  she  loved. 

"  Prove  your  love  to  me,  Annie,  by  going  down- 
stairs and  keeping  the  school  rules  as  perfectly  as 
possible,"  whispered  the  teacher. 

"  I  will — I  will  never  break  a  rule  again  as  long  as 
I  live,  if  you  get  better,  Mrs.  Willis,"  responded  the 
child. 

She  ran  down  stairs  with  her  resolves  strong  within 
her,  and  yet  in  half  an  hour  she  was  reprimanded 
for  willful  and  desperate  disobedience. 


54  A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

One  day  Cecil  Temple  had  invited  a  select  number 
of  friends  to  af ternopn  tea  in  her  little  drawing-room. 
It  was  the  Wednesday  half-holiday,  and  Cecil's  tea, 
poured  into  the  tiniest  cups  and  accompanied  by 
thin  wafer  biscuits,  was  of  the  most  rechercht  quality. 
Cecil  had  invited  Hester  Thornton,  and  a  tall  girl 
who  belonged  to  the  first  class  and  whose  name  was 
Dora  Russell,  to  partake  of  this  dainty  beverage. 
They  were  sitting  round  the  tiny  tea-table,  on  little 
red  stools  with  groups  of  flowers  artistically  painted 
on  them,  and  were  all  three  conducting  themselves 
in  a  most  ladylike  and  refined  manner,  when  Annie 
Forest's  curly  head  and  saucy  face  popped  over  the 
enclosure,  and  her  voice  said  eagerly : 

"  Oh,  may  I  be  permitted  to  enter  the  shrine  ?" 

"  Certainly,  Annie,"  said  Cecil,  in  her  most  cordial 
tones.  "  I  have  got  another  cup  and  saucer,  and 
there  is  a  little  tea  left  in  the  teapot.** 

Annie  came  in,  and  ensconced  herself  cozily  on  the 
floor.  It  did  not  matter  in  the  least  to  her  that 
Hester  Thornton's  brow  grew  dark,  and  that  Miss 
Russell  suddenly  froze  into  complete  indifference  to 
all  her  surroundings.  Annie  was  full  of  a  subject 
which  excited  her  very  much  :  she  had  suddenly 
discovered  that  she  wanted  to  give  Mrs.  Willis  a 
present,  and  she  wished  to  know  if  any  of  the  girls 
would  like  to  join  her. 

"  I  will  give  her  the  present  this  day  week,"  said 
excitable  Annie.  "I  have  quite  made  up  my 
mind.  Will  any  one  join  me  ?" 

"  But    there   is    nothing    special  about  this    day 


A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  (55 

week,  Annie,"  said  Miss  Temple.  "  It  will  neither 
be  Mrs.  Willis*  birthday,  nor  Christmas  Day,  nor 
New  Year's  Day,  nor  Easter  Day.  Next  Wednes- 
day will  be  just  like  any  other  Wednesday.  Why 
should  we  make  Mrs.  Willis  a  present  ?" 

"Oh,  because  she  looks  as  if  she  wanted  one, 
poor  dear.  I  thought  she  looked  sad  this  morning  ; 
her  eyes  drooped  and  her  mouth  was  down  at  the 
corners.  I  am  sure  she's  wanting  something  from 
us  all  by  mow,  just  to  show  that  we  love  her,  you 
know." 

"  Pshaw !"  here  burst  from  Hester's  lips. 

"Why  do  you  say  that?"  said  Annie,  turning 
round  with  her  bright  eyes  flashing.  "  You've  no 
right  to  be  so  contemptuous  when  I  speak  about 
our — our  head-mistress.  Oh,  Cecil,"  she  continued, 
"do  let  us  give  her  a  little  surprise — some  spring 
flowers,  or  something  just  to  show  her  that  we  love 
her." 

"But  ^08  don't  love  her,"  said  Hester,  stoutly. 

Here  was  throwing  down  the  gauntlet  with  a 
vengeance  !  Annie  sprang  to  her  feet  and  con- 
fronted Hester  with  a  whole  torrent  of  angry  words. 
Hester  firmly  maintained  her  position.  She  said 
over  and  over  again  that  love  proved  itself  by  deeds, 
not  by  words ;  that  if  Annie  learned  her  lessons,  and 
obeyed  the  school  rules,  she  would  prove  her  affec- 
tion for  Mrs.  Willis  far  more  than  by  empty  protes- 
tations. Hester's  words  were  true,  but  they  were 
uttered  in  an  unkind  spirit,  and  the  very  flavor  of 
truth  which  they  possessed  caused  them  to  enter 


66  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Annie's  heart  and  to  wound  her  deeply.  She 
turned,  not  red,  but  very  white,  and  her  large  and 
lovely  eyes  grew  misty  with  unshed  tears. 

"You  are  cruel,"  she  gasped,  rather  than  spoke, 
and  then  she  pushed  aside  the  curtains  of  Cecil's 
compartment  and  walked  out  of  the  play-room. 

There  was  a  dead  silence  among  the  three  girls 
when  she  left  them.  Hester's  heart  was  still  hot, 
and  she  was  still  inclined  to  maintain  her  own  posi- 
tion, and  to  believe  she  had  done  right  in  speaking 
in  so  severe  a  tone  to  Annie.  But  even  she  had 
been  made  a  little  uneasy  by  the  look  of  deep  suffer- 
ing which  had  suddenly  transformed  Annie's  charm- 
ing childish  face  into  that  of  a  troubled  and  pained 
woman.  She  sat  down  meekly  on  her  little  three- 
legged  stool  and,  taking  up  her  tiny  cup  and  saucer, 
sipped  some  of  the  cold  tea. 

Cecil  Temple  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  How  could  you  ?"  she  said,  in  an  indignant 
voice  for  her.  "  Annie  is  not  the  girl  to  be  driven, 
and  in  any  case,  it  is  not  for  you  to  correct  her.  Oh, 
Mrs.  Willis  would  have  been  so  pained  had  she  heard 
you — you  were  not  kind,  Miss  Thornton.  There,  I 
don't  wish  to  be  rude,  but  I  fear  I  must  leave  you 
and  Miss  Russell — I  must  try  and  find  Annie." 

"  I'm  going  back  to  my  own  drawing-room,"  said 
Miss  Russell,  rising  to  her  feet.  "  Perhaps,"  she 
added,  turning  round  with  a  very  gracious  smile  to 
Hester,  "  you  will  come  and  see  me  there,  after  tea 
this  evening." 

Miss    Russell   drew    aside    the    curtains  of  Cecil 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  67 

Temple's  little  room,  and  disappeared.  Hester, 
with  her  eyes  full  of  tears,  now  turned1  eagerly  to 
Cecil. 

"  Forgive  me,  Cecil,"  she  exclaimed.  "  I  did  not 
mean  to  be  unkind,  but  it  is  really  quite  ridiculous 
the  way  you  all  spoil  that  girl — you  know  as  well  as 
I  do  that  she  is  a  very  naughty  girl.  I  suppose  it 
is  because  of  her  pretty  face,"  continued  Hester, 
"that  you  are  all  so  unjust,  and  so  blind  to  her 
faults." 

"  You  are  prejudiced  the  other  way,  Hester,"  said 
Cecil  in  a  more  gentle  tone.  "  You  have  disliked 
Annie  from  the  first.  There,  don't  keep  me — I  must 
go  to  her  now.  There  is  no  knowing  what  harm 
your  words  may  have  done.  Annie  is  not  like  other 
girls.  If  you  knew  her  story,  you  would  perhaps  be 
kinder  to  her." 

Cecil  then  ran  out  of  her  drawing-room,  leaving 
Hester  in  sole  possession  of  the  little  tea-things  and 
the  three-legged  stools.  She  sat  and  thought  for 
some  time ;  she  was  a  girl  with  a  great  deal  of  ob- 
stinacy in  her  nature,  and  she  was  not  disposed  to 
yield  her  own  point,  even  to  Cecil  Temple  ;  but  Cecil's 
words  had,  nevertheless,  made  some  impression  on 
her. 

At  tea-time  that  night,  Annie  and  Cecil  entered 
the  room  together.  Annie's  eyes  were  as  bright  as 
stars,  and  her  usually  pale  cheeks  glowed  with  a 
deep  color.  She  had  never  looked  prettier — she  had 
never  looked  so  defiant,  so  mischievous,  so  utterly 
reckless.  Manx-.  Perier  fired  indignant  French  at 


68  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

her  across  the  table.  Annie  answered  respectfully, 
and  became  demure  in  a  moment ;  but  even  in  the 
short  instant  in  which  the  governess  was  obliged  to 
lower  her  eyes  to  her  plate,  she  had  thrown  a  look 
so  irresistibly  comic  at  her  companions  that  several 
of  them  had  tittered  aloud.  Not  once  did  she  glance 
at  Hester,  although  she  occasionally  looked  boldly 
in  her  direction  ;  but  when  she  did  so,  her  versatile 
face  assumed  a  blank  expression,  as  if  she  were  see- 
ing nothing.  When  tea  was  over,  Dora  Russell  sur- 
prised the  members  of  her  own  class  by  walking 
straight  up  to  Hester,  putting  her  hand  inside  her 
arm,  and  leading  her  off  to  her  own  very  refined- 
looking  little  drawing-room. 

"  I  want  to  tell  you,"  she  said,  when  the  two  girls 
found  themselves  inside  the  small  enclosure,  "  that  I 
quite  agree  with  you  in  your  opinion  of  Miss  Forest. 
I  think  you  were  very  brave  to  speak  to  her  as  you 
did  to-day.  As  a  rule,  I  never  trouble  myself  with 
what  the  little  girls  in  the  third  class  do,  and  of 
course  Annie  seldom  comes  under  my  notice  ;  but  I 
think  she  is  a  decidedly  spoiled  child,  and  your  rebuff 
will  doubtless  do  her  a  great  deal  of  good." 

These  words  of  commendation,  coming  from  tall 
and  dignified  Miss  Russell  completely  turned  poor 
Hester's  head. 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  you  think  so !"  she  stammered, 
coloring  high  with  pleasure.  "You  see,"  she  added, 
assuming  a  little  tone  of  extra  refinement,  "  at  home 
I  always  associated  with  girls  who  were  perfect 
ladies." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  69 

"  Yes,  any  one  can  see  that,"  remarked  Miss  Rus- 
sell approvingly. 

"And  I  do  think  Annie  under-bred,"  continued 
Hester.  "I  cannot  understand,"  she  added,  "why 
Miss  Temple  likes  her  so  much." 

"  Oh,  Cecil  is  so  amiable  ;  she  sees  good  in  every 
one,"  answered  Miss  Russell.  "  Annie  is  evidently 
not  a  lady,  and  I  am  glad  at  last  to  find  some  one 
of  the  girls  who  belong  to  the  middle  school  capable 
of  discerning  this  fact.  Of  course,  we  of  the  first 
class  have  nothing  whatever  to  say  to  Miss  Forest, 
but  I  really  think  Mrs.  Willis  is  not  acting  quite 
fairly  by  the  other  girls  when  she  allows  a  young 
person  of  that  description  into  the  school.  I  wish 
to  assure  you,  Miss  Thornton,  that  you  have  at  least 
my  sympathy,  and  I  shall  be  very  pleased  to  see 
you  in  my  drawing-room  now  and  then." 

As  these  last  words  were  uttered,  both  girls  were 
conscious  of  a  little  rustling  sound  not  far  away. 
Miss  Russell  drew  back  her  curtain,  and  asked  very 
sharply  "Who  is  there?"  but  no  one  replied,  nor 
was  there  any  one  in  sight,  for  the  girls  who  did 
not  possess  compartments  were  congregated  at  the 
other  end  of  the  long  play-room,  listening  to  stories 
which  Emma  Marshall,  a  clever  elder  girl,  was 
relating  for  their  benefit. 

Miss  Russell  talked  on  in  different  subjects  to 
Hester,  and  at  the  end  of  the  half-hour  the  two 
entered  the  class-room  side  by  side,  Hester's  little 
head  a  good  deal  turned  by  this  notice  from  one  of 
the  oldest  girls  in  the  school. 


70  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

As  the  two  walked  together  into  the  school-room, 
Susan  Drummond,  who,  tall  as  she  was,  was  only  in 
the  fourth  class,  rushed  up  to  Miss  Forest,  and 
whispered  something  in  her  ear. 

"  It  is  just  as  I  told  you,"  she  said,  and  her  sleepy 
voice  was  quite  wide  awake  and  animated.  Annie 
Forest  rewarded  her  by  a  playful  pinch  on  her 
cheek ;  then  she  returned  to  her  own  class,  with  a 
severe  reprimand  from  the  class  teacher,  and  silence 
reigned  in  the  long  room,  as  the  girls  began  to  pre- 
pare their  lessons  as  usual  for  the  next  day. 

Miss  Russell  took  her  place  at  her  desk  in  her 
usual  dignified  manner.  She  was  a  clever  girl,  and 
was  going  to  leave  school  at  the  end  of  next  term. 
Hers  was  a  particularly  fastidious,  but  by  no  means, 
great  nature.  She  was  the  child  of  wealthy  parents ; 
she  was  also  well  born,  and  because  of  her  money, 
and  a  certain  dignity  and  style  which  had  come  to 
her  as  nature's  gifts,  she  held  an  influence,  though 
by  no  means  a  large  one,  in  the  school.  No  one 
particularly  disliked  her,  but  no  one,  again,  ardently 
loved  her.  The  girls  in  her  own  class  thought  it 
well  to  be  friendly  with  Dora  Russell,  and  Dora 
accepted  their  homage  with  more  or  less  indifference. 
She  did  not  greatly  care  for  either  their  praise  or 
blame.  Dora  possessed  in  a  strong  degree  that 
baneful  quality,  which  more  than  anything  else 
precludes  the  love  of  others — she  was  essentially 
selfish. 

She  sat  now  before  her  desk,  little  guessing  how 
she  had  caused  Hester's  small  heart  to  beat  by  her 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS,  -ft. 

patronage,  and  little  suspecting  the  mischief  she  had 
done  to  the  girl  by  her  injudicious  words.  Had 
she  known,  it  is  to  be  doubted  whether  she  would 
have  greatly  cared.  She  looked  through  the  books 
which  contained  her  tasks  for  the  next  day's  work, 
and,  finding  they  did  not  require  a  great  deal  of 
preparation,  put  them  aside,  and  amused  herself 
during  the  rest  of  preparation  time  with  a  story- 
book, which  she  artfully  concealed  behind  the 
leaves  of  some  exercises.  She  knew  she  was  break- 
ing the  rules,  but  this  fact  did  not  trouble  her,  for 
her  moral  nature  was,  after  all,  no  better  than  poor 
Annie's,  and  she  had  not  a  tenth  of  her  lovable 
qualities. 

Dora  Russell  was  the  soul  of  neatness  and  order. 
To  look  inside  her  school  desk  was  a  positive  pleas- 
ure ;  to  glance  at  her  own  neat  and  trim  figure  was 
more  or  less  of  a  delight.  Hers  were  the  whitest 
hands  in  the  school,  and  hers  the  most  perfectly 
kept  and  glossy  hair.  As  the  preparation  hour  drew 
to  a  close,  she  replaced  her  exercises  and  books  in 
exquisite  order  in  her  school  desk  and  shut  down  the 
lid. 

Hester's  eyes  followed  her  as  she  walked  out  of 
the  school-room,  for  the  head  class  never  had  sup- 
per with  the  younger  girls.  Hester  wondered  if  she 
would  glance  in  her  direction  ;  but  Miss  Russell  had 
gratified  a  very  passing  whim  when  she  condescended 
to  notice  and  praise  Hester,  and  she  had  already 
almost  forgotten  her  existence. 

At    bed-time  that  night  Susan   Drummond's  b^ 


72  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

havior  was  at  the  least  extraordinary.  In  the 
place,  instead  of  being  almost  overpoweringly 
friendly  with  Hester,  she  scarcely  noticed  her;  in 
the  next  place,  she  made  some  very  peculiar  prepa- 
rations. 

"What  are  you  doing  on  the  floor,  Susan?"  in- 
quired Hetty  in  an  innocent  tone. 

"That's  nothing  to  you,"  replied  Miss  Drummond, 
turning  a  dusky  red,  and  looking  annoyed  at  being 
discovered.  "  I  do  wish,"  she  added,  "  that  you 
would  go  round  to  your  side  of  the  room  and  leave 
me  alone ;  I  sha'n't  have  done  what  I  want  to  do  be- 
fore Danesbury  comes  in  to  put  out  the  candle." 

Hester  was  not  going  to  put  herself  out  with  any 
of  Susan  Drummond's  vagaries :  she  looked  upon 
sleepy  Susan  as  a  girl  quite  beneath  her  notice,  but 
even  she  could  not  help  observing  her,  when  she 
saw  her  sit  up  in  bed  a  quarter  of  an  hour  after  the 
candles  had  been  put  out,  and  in  the  flickering  fire- 
light which  shown  conveniently  bright  for  her 
purpose,  fasten  a  piece  of  string  first  round  one  of 
her  toes,  and  then  to  the  end  of  the  bed-post. 

"What  are  you  doing?"  said  Hester  again,  half 
laughing. 

"  Oh,  what  a  spy  you  are  !"  said  Susan.  "  I  want 
to  wake,  that's  all;  and  whenever  I  turn  in  bed, 
that  string  will  tug  at  my  toe,  and,  of  cr~-  'e,  I'll 
rouse  up.  If  you  were  more  good-naturea,  i  d  give 
the  other  end  of  the  string  to  you ;  but,  of  course, 
that  plan  would  never  answer." 

"No,  indeed,"  replied  Hester;  "I  am  not  going 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  73 

to  trouble  myself  to  wake  you.  You  must  trust  to 
your  sponge  of  cold  water  in.  the  morning,  unless 
your  own  admirable  device  succeeds." 

"  I'm  going  to  sleep  now,  at  any  rate,"  answered 
Susan ;  "  I'm  on  my  back,  and  I'm  beginning  to 
snore ;  good  night." 

Once  or  twice  during  the  night  Hester  heard 
groans  from  the  self-sacrificing  Susan,  who,  doubt- 
less, found  the  string  attached  to  her  foot  very  in- 
convenient. 

Hester,  however,  slept  on  when  it  might  have  been 
better  for  the  peace  of  many  in  the  school  that  she 
should  have  awakened.  She  heard  no  sound  when, 
long  before  day,  sleepy  Susan  stepped  softly  out  of 
bed,  and  wrapping  a  thick  shawl  about  her,  glided 
out  of  the  room.  She  was  away  for  over  half  an 
hour,  but  she  returned  to  her  chamber  and  got  into 
bed  without  in  the  least  disturbing  Hester.  In  the 
morning  she  was  found  so  soundly  asleep  that  even 
the  sponge  of  cold  water  could  not  arouse  her. 

"  Pull  the  string  at  the  foot  of  the  bed,  Alice," 
said  Hester  ;  "  she  fastened  a  string  to  her  toe,  and 
twisted  the  other  end  round  the  bed-post,  last  night; 
pull  it,  Alice,  it  may  effect  its  purpose." 

But  there  was  no  string  now  round  Susan  Drum- 
mond's  foot,  nor  was  it  found  hanging  to  the  bed- 
post. 


74  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

WHAT    WAS   FOUND   IN    THE   SCHOOL-DESK. 

THE  NEXT  morning,  when  the  whole  school  were 
assembled,  and  all  the  classes  were  getting  ready  for 
the  real  work  of  the  day,  Miss  Good,  the  English 
teacher,  stepped  to  the  head  of  the  room,  and,  hold- 
ing a  neatly  bound  volume  of  "  Jane  Eyre  "  in  her 
hand,  begged  to  know  to  whom  it  belonged.  There 
was  a  hush  of  astonishment  when  she  held  up  the 
little  book,  for  all  the  girls  knew  well  that  this 
special  volume  was  not  allowed  for  school  literature. 

"  The  housemaid  who  dusts  the  school-room  found 
this  book  on  the  floor,"  continued  the  teacher.  "  It 
lay  beside  a  desk  near  the  top  of  the  room.  I  see 
the  name  has  been  torn  out,  so  I  cannot  tell  who  is 
the  owner.  I  must  request  her,  however,  to  step 
forward  and  take  possession  of  her  property.  If 
there  is  the  slightest  attempt  at  concealment,  the 
whole  matter  will  be  laid  before  Mrs.  Willis  at  noon 
to-day." 

When  Miss  Good  had  finished  her  little  speech, 
she  held  up  the  book  in  its  green  binding  and  looked 
down  the  room. 

Hester  did  not  know  why  her  heart  beat — no  one 
glanced  at  her,  no  one  regarded  her  ;  all  eyes  were 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  75 

fixed  on  Miss  Good,  who  stood  with  a  severe,  un- 
smiling, but  expectant  face. 

"  Come,  young  ladies,"  she  said,  "  the  owner  has 
surely  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  her  own  property. 
I  give  you  exactly  thirty  seconds  more;  then  if 
no  one  claims  the  book,  I  place  the  affair  in  Mrs. 
Willis'  hands." 

Just  then  there  was  a  stir  among  the  girls  in  the 
head  class.  A  tall  girl  in  dove-colored  cashmere, 
with  a  smooth  head  of  golden  hair,  and  a  fair  face 
which  was  a  good  deal  flushed  at  this  moment, 
stepped  to  the  front,  and  said  in  a  clear  and  per- 
fectly modulated  voice  : 

"  I  had  no  idea  of  concealing  the  fact  that  '  Jane 
Eyre '  belongs  to  me.  I  was  only  puzzled  for  a 
moment  to  know  how  it  got  on  the  floor.  I  placed 
it  carefully  in  my  desk  last  night.  I  think  this 
circumstance  ought  to  be  inquired  into." 

"  Oh  !  Oh  !"  came  from  several  suppressed  voices 
here  and  there  through  the  room  ;  "  whoever  would 
have  supposed  that  Dora  Russell  would  be  obliged  to 
humble  herself  in  this  way  ?" 

"Attention,  young  ladies  !"  said  Miss  Good;  "no 
talking,  if  you  please.  Do  I  understand,  Miss  Rus- 
sell, that '  Jane  Eyre  '  is  yours  ?" 

"Yes,  Miss  Good." 

"Why  did  you  keep  it  in  your  desk — were  you 
reading  it  during  preparation  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  certainly." 

"  You  are,  of  course,  aware  that  you  were  break- 
ing two  very  stringent  rules  of  the  school.  In  the 


76  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

first  place,  no  story-books  are  allowed  to  be  con- 
cealed in  a  school-desk,  or  to  be  read  during  prepa- 
ration. In  the  second  place,  this  special  book  is  not 
allowed  to  be  read  at  any  time  in  Lavender  House. 
You  know  these  rules,  Miss  Russell  ?" 

"Yes,  Miss  Good." 

"  I  must  retain  the  book — you  can  return  now  to 
your  place  in  class." 

Miss  Russell  bowed  sedately,  and  with  an  appar- 
ently unmoved  face,  except  for  the  slightly  deep- 
ened glow  on  her  smooth  cheek,  resumed  her  inter- 
rupted work. 

Lessons  went  on  as  usual,  but  during  recreation 
the  mystery  of  the  discovered  book  was  largely  dis- 
cussed by  the  girls.  As  is  the  custom  of  school- 
girls, they  took  violent  sides  in  the  matter — some 
rejoicing  in  Dora's  downfall,  some  pitying  her 
intensely.  Hester  was,  of  course,  one  of  Miss  Rus- 
sell's champions,  and  she  looked  at  her  with  tender 
sympathy  when  she  came  with  her  haughty  and 
graceful  manner  into  the  school-room,  and  her  little 
heart  beat  with  vague  hope  that  Dora  might  turn 
to  her  for  sympathy. 

Dora,  however,  did  nothing  of  the  kind.  She 
refused  to  discuss  the  affair  with  her  companions, 
and  none  of  them  quite  knew  what  Mrs.  Willis  said 
to  her,  or  what  special  punishment  was  inflicted  on 
the  proud  girl.  Several  of  her  schoolfellows  ex- 
pected that  Dora's  drawing-room  would  be  taken 
away  from  her,  but  she  still  retained  it ;  and  after 
a  few  days  the  affair  of  the  book  was  almost  forgotten. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  77 

There  was,  however,  an  uncomfortable  and  an 
uneasy  spirit  abroad  in  the  school.  Susan  Drum- 
mond,  who  was  certainly  one  of  the  most  uninterest- 
ing girls  In  Lavender  House,  was  often  seen  walking 
with  and  talking  to  Miss  Forest.  Sometimes  Annie 
shook  her  pretty  head  over  Susan's  remarks ;  some- 
times she  listened  to  her ;  sometimes  she  laughed 
and  spoke  eagerly  for  a  moment  or  two,  and 
appeared  to  acquiesce  in  suggestions  which  her 
companion  urged. 

Annie  had  always  been  the  soul  of  disorder — of 
wild  pranks,  of  naughty  and  disobedient  deeds — 
but,  hitherto,  in  all  her  wildness  she  had  never 
intentionally  hurt  any  one  but  herself.  Hers  was  a 
giddy  and  thoughtless,  but  by  no  means  a  bitter 
tongue — she  thought  well  of  all  her  schoolfellows — 
and  on  occasions  she  could  be  self-sacrificing  and 
good-natured  to  a  remarkable  extent.  The  girls  of 
the  head  class  took  very  little  notice  of  Annie,  but 
her  other  school  companions,  as  a  rule,  succumbed  to 
her  sunny,  bright,  and  witty  ways.  She  offended 
them  a  hundred  times  a  day,  and  a  hundred  times  a 
day  was  forgiven.  Hester  was  the  first  girl  in  the 
third  class  who  had  ever  persistently  disliked  Annie, 
and  Annie,  after  making  one  or  two  overtures  of 
friendship,  began  to  return  Miss  Thornton's  aversion; 
but  she  had  never  cordially  hated  her  until  the  day 
they  met  in  Cecil  Temple's  drawing-room,  and 
Hester  had  wounded  Annie  in  her  tenderest  part  by 
doubting  her  affection  for  Mrs.  Willis. 

Since  that  day  there  was  a  change  very  notice- 


78  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

able  in  Annie  Forest — she  was  not  so  gay  as  for- 
merly,  but  she  was  a  great  deal  more  mischievous — 
she  was  not  nearly  so  daring,  but  she  was  capable 
now  of  little  actions,  slight  in  themselves,  which  yet 
were  calculated  to  cause  mischief  and  real  unhappi- 
ness.  Her  sudden  friendship  with  Susan  Drummond 
did  her  no  good,  and  she  persistently  avoided  all 
intercourse  with  Cecil  Temple,  who  hitherto  had  in- 
fluenced her  in  the  right  direction. 

The  incident  of  the  green  book  had  passed  with 
no  apparent  result  of  grave  importance,  but  the 
spirit  of  mischief  which  had  caused  this  book  to  be 
found  was  by  no  means  asleep  in  the  school.  Pranks 
were  played  in  a  most  mysterious  fashion  with  the 
girl's  properties. 

Hester  herself  was  the  very  next  victim.  She,  too, 
was  a  neat  and  orderly  child — she  was  clever  and 
thoroughly  enjoyed  her  school  work.  She  was 
annoyed,  therefore,  and  dreadfully  puzzled,  by  dis- 
covering one  morning  that  her  neat  French  exercise 
book  was  disgracefully  blotted,  and  one  page  torn 
across.  She  was  severely  reprimanded  by  Mdlle. 
Perier  for  such  gross  untidiness  and  carelessness,  and 
when  she  assured  the  governess  that  she  knew 
nothing  whatever  of  the  circumstance,  that  she  was 
never  guilty  of  blots,  and  had  left  the  book  in  per- 
fect order  the  night  before,  the  French  lady  only 
shrugged  her  shoulders,  made  an  expressive  gesture 
with  her  eyebrows,  and  plainly  showed  Hester  that 
she  thought  the  less  she  said  on  that  subject  the 
better. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  79 

Hester  was  required  to  write  out  her  exercise 
again,  and  she  fancied  she  saw  a  triumphant  look  in 
Annie  Forest's  eyes  as  she  left  the  school-room, 
where  poor  Hester  was  obliged  to  remain  to  undergo 
her  unmerited  punishment. 

"  Cecil,"  called  Hester,  in  a  passionate  and  eager 
voice,  as  Miss  Temple  was  passing  her  place. 

Cecil  paused  for  a  moment. 

"  What  is  it,  Hetty  ? — oh,  I  am  so  sorry  you  must 
stay  in  this  lovely  bright  day." 

"  I  have  done  nothing  wrong,"  said  Hester ;  "  I 
never  blotted  this  exercise-book  ;  I  never  tore  this 
page.  It  is  most  unjust  not  to  believe  my  word  ;  it 
is  most  unjust  to  punish  me  for  what  I  have  not 
done." 

Miss  Temple's  face  looked  puzzled  and  sad. 

"  I  must  not  stay  to  talk  to  you  now,  Hester,"  she 
whispered ;  "  I  am  breaking  the  rules.  You  can 
come  to  my  drawing-room  by-and-by,  and  we  will 
discuss  this  matter." 

But  Hester  and  Cecil,  talk  as  they  would,  could 
find  no  solution  to  the  mystery.  Cecil  absolutely 
refused  to  believe  that  Annie  Forest  had  anything 
to  do  with  the  matter. 

"No,"  she  »aid,  "such  deceit  is  not  in  Annie's 
nature.  I  would  do  anything  to  help  you,  Hester  ; 
but  I  can't,  and  I  won't,  believe  that  Annie  tried 
deliberately  to  do  you  harm." 

"I  am  quite  certain  she  did,"  retorted  Hester, 
"  and  from  this  moment  I  refuse  to  speak  to  hei 
until  she  confesses  what  she  has  done  and  apologizes 


80  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

to  me.    Indeed,  I  have  a  great  mind  to  go  and  tell 
everything  to  Mrs.  Willis." 

"  Oh,  I  would  not  do  that,"  said  Cecil ;  "  none  of 
your  schoolfellows  would  forgive  you  if  you 
charged  such  a  favorite  as  Annie  with  a  crime  which 
you  cannot  in  the  least  prove  against  her.  You 
must  be  patient,  Hester,  and  if  you  are,  I  will  take 
your  part,  and  try  to  get  at  the  bottom  of  the 
mystery." 

Cecil,  however,  failed  to  do  so.  Annie  laughed 
when  the  affair  was  discussed  in  her  presence,  but 
her  clear  eyes  looked  as  innocent  as  the  day,  and 
nothing  would  induce  Cecil  to  doubt  Miss  Forest's 
honor. 

The  mischievous  spirit,  however,  who  was  sowing 
such  seeds  of  unhappiness  in  the  hitherto  peaceful 
school  was  not  satisfied  with  two  deeds  of  daring ; 
for  a  week  afterward  Cecil  Temple  found  a  book  of 
Mrs.  Browning's,  out  of  which  she  was  learning  a 
piece  for  recitation,  with  its  cover  half  torn  off,  and, 
still  worse,  a  caricature  of  Mrs.  Willis  sketched  with 
some  cleverness  and  a  great  deal  of  malice  on  the 
title-page.  On  the  very  same  morning,  Dora  Russell, 
on  opening  her  desk,  was  seen  to  throw  up  her 
hands  with  a  gesture  of  dismay.  The  neat  compo- 
sition she  had  finished  the  night  before  was  not  to 
be  seen  in  its  accustomed  place,  but  in  a  corner  of 
the  desk  were  two  bulky  and  mysterious  parcels, 
one  of  which  contained  a  great  junk  of  rich  plum- 
cake,  and  the  other  some  very  sticky  and  messy 
*  Turkish  delight ;"  while  the  paper  which  enveloped 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  81 

these  luxuries  was  found  to  be  that  on  which  the 
missing  composition  was  written.  Dora's  face  grew 
very  white,  she  forgot  the  ordinary  rules  of  the 
school,  and,  leaving  her  class,  walked  down  the 
room,  and  interrupted  Miss  Good,  who  was  begin- 
ning to  instruct  the  third  class  in  English  grammar. 

"  Will  you  please  come  and  see  something  in  my 
desk,  Miss  Good  ?"  she  said  in  a  voice  which  trem- 
bled with  excitement. 

It  was  while  she  was  speaking  that  Cecil  found 
the  copy  of  Mrs.  Browning  mutilated,  and  with  the 
disgraceful  caricature  on  its  title-page.  Startled  as 
she  was  by  this  discovery,  and  also  by  Miss  Russell's 
extraordinary  behavior,  she  had  presence  of  mind 
enough  to  hide  the  sight  which  pained  her  from  her 
companions.  Unobserved,  in  the  strong  interest  of 
the  moment,  for  all  the  girls  were  watching  Dora 
Russell  and  Miss  Good,  she  managed  to  squeeze  the 
little  volume  into  her  pocket.  She  had  indeed  re- 
ceived a  great  shock,  for  she  knew  well  that  the  only 
girl  who  could  caricature  in  the  school  was  Annie 
Forest.  For  a  moment  her  troubled  eyes  sought  the 
ground,  but  then  she  raised  them  and  looked  at 
Annie  ;  Annie,  however,  with  a  particularly  cheerful 
face,  and  her  bright  eyes  full  of  merriment,  was 
gazing  in  astonishment  at  the  scene  which  was  tak- 
ing place  in  front  of  Miss  Russell's  desk. 

Dora,  whose  enunciation  was  very  clear,  seemed 
to  have  absolutely  forgotten  herself  ;  she  disregarded 
Miss  Good's  admonitions,  and  declared  stoutly  that 
at  such  a  moment  she  did  not  care  what  rules  she 


82  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

broke.  She  was  quite  determined  that  the  culprit 
who  had  dared  to  desecrate  her  composition,  and 
put  plum-cake  and  "  Turkish  delight  "  into  her  desk, 
should  be  publicly  exposed  and  punished. 

"  The  thing  cannot  go  on  any  longer,  Miss  Good," 
she  said  ;  "  there  is  a  girl  in  this  school  who  ought 
to  be  expelled  from  it,  and  I  for  one  declare  openly 
that  I  will  not  submit  to  associate  with  a  girl  who 
is  worse  than  unladylike.  If  you  will  permit  me,  Miss 
Good,  I  will  carry  these  things  at  once  to  Mrs.  Wil- 
lis, and  beg  of  her  to  investigate  the  whole  affair, 
and  bring  the  culprit  to  justice,  and  to  turn  her  out 
of  the  school." 

"Stay,  Miss  Russell,"  exclaimed  the  English 
teacher,  "  you  strangely  and  completely  forget  your- 
self. You  are  provoked,  I  own,  but  you  have  no 
right  to  stand  up  and  absolutely  hoist  the  flag  of 
rebellion  in  the  faces  of  the  other  girls.  I  cannot 
excuse  your  conduct.  I  will  myself  take  away  these 
parcels  which  were  found  in  your  desk,  and  will  re- 
port the  affair  to  Mrs.  Willis.  She  will  take  what 
steps  she  thinks  right  in  bringing  you  to  order,  and 
in  discovering  the  author  of  this  mischief.  Return 
instantly  to  your  desk,  Miss  Russell ;  you  strangely 
forget  yourself." 

Miss  Good  left  the  room,  having  removed  the  plum- 
cake  and  "Turkish  delight"  from  Dora  Russell's 
desk,  and  lessons  continued  as  best  they  could  under 
such  exciting  circumstances. 

At  twelve  o'clock  that  day,  just  as  the  girls  were 
preparing  to  go  up  to  their  rooms  to  get  ready  for 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  83 

their  usual  walk,  Mrs.  Willis  came  into  the  school- 
room. 

"  Stay  one  moment,  young  ladies,"  said  the  head- 
mistress in  that  slightly  vibrating  and  authoritative 
voice  of  hers.  "  I  have  a  word  or  two  to  say  to  you 
all.  Miss  Good  has  just  brought  me  a  painful  story 
of  wanton  and  cruel  mischief.  There  are  fifty  girls 
in  this  school,  who,  until  lately,  lived  happily  to- 
gether. There  is  now  one  girl  among  the  fifty 
whose  object  it  is  to  sow  seeds  of  discord  and  misery 
among  her  companions.  Miss  Good  has  told  me  of 
three  different  occasions  on  which  mischief  has  been 
done  to  different  girls  in  the  school.  Twice  Miss 
Russell's  desk  has  been  disturbed,  once  Miss  Thorn- 
ton's. It  is  possible  that  other  girls  may  also  have 
suffered  who  have  been  noble  enough  not  to  com- 
plain. There  is,  however,  a  grave  mischief,  in  short 
a  moral  disease  in  our  midst.  Such  a  thing  is  worse 
than  bodily  illness — it  must  be  stamped  out  instantly 
and  completely  at  the  risk  of  any  personal  suffer- 
ing. I  am  now  going  to  ask  you,  girls,  a  simple 
question,  and  I  demand  instant  truth  without  any 
reservation.  Miss  Russell's  desk  has  been  tampered 
with — Miss  Thornton's  desk  has  been  tampered 
with.  Has  any  other  girl  suffered  injury — has  any 
other  girl's  desk  been  touched  ?" 

Mrs.  Willis  looked  down  the  long  room — hei 
voice  had  reached  every  corner,  and  the  quiet,  dig  • 
nified,  and  deeply-pained  expression  in  her  fine  eyes 
was  plainly  visible  to  each  girl  in  the  school.  Even 
the  little  ones  were  startled  and  subdued  by  the 


g4  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

tone  of  Mrs.  Willis'  voice,  and  one  or  two  of  them 
suddenly  burst  into  tears.  Mrs.  Willis  paused  for  a 
full  moment,  then  she  repeated  her  question. 

"  I  insist  upon  knowing  the  exact  truth,  my  dear 
children,"  she  said  gently,  but  with  great  decision. 

"My  desk  has  also  been  tampered  with,"  said 
Miss  Temple,  in  a  low  voice. 

Every  one  started  when  Cecil  spoke,  and  even 
Annie  Forest  glanced  at  her  with  a  half-frightened 
and  curious  expression.  Cecil's  voice  indeed  was  so 
low,  so  shaken  with  doubt  and  pain,  that  her  com- 
panions scarcely  recognized  it. 

"  Come  here,  Miss  Temple,"  said  Mrs.  Willis. 

Cecil  instantly  left  her  desk  and  walked  up  the 
room. 

"Your  desk  has  also  been  tampered  with,  you 
say  ?"  repeated  the  head-mistress. 

"  Yes,  madam." 

"  When  did  you  discover  this  ?" 

"  To-day,  Mrs.  Willis." 

"  You  kept  it  to  yourself  ?" 

"Yes." 

"Will  you  now  repeat  in  the  presence  of  the 
school,  and  in  a  loud  enough  voice  to  be  heard  by 
all  here,  exactly  what  was  done  ?" 

"  Pardon  me,"  answered  Cecil,  and  now  her  voice 
was  a  little  less  agitated  and  broken,  and  she  looked 
full  into  the  face  of  her  teacher,  "  I  cannot  do 
that." 

"  You  deliberately  disobey  me,  Cecil !"  said  Mrs 
Willis. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  85 

•'  Yes,  madam." 

Mrs.  Willis*  face  flushed — she  did  not,  however, 
look  angry ;  she  laid  her  hand  on  Cecil's  shoulder 
and  looked  full  into  her  eyes. 

"  You  are  one  of  my  best  pupils,  Cecil,"  she  said 
tenderly.  "  At  such  a  moment  as  this,  honor 
requires  you  to  stand  by  your  mistress.  I  must 
insist  on  your  telling  me  here  and  now  exactly  what 
has  occurred." 

Cecil's  face  grew  whiter  and  whiter. 

"I  cannot  tell  you,"  she  murmured;  "it  breaks 
my  heart,  but  I  cannot  tell  you." 

"  You  have  defied  me,  Cecil,"  said  Mrs.  Willis  in 
a  tone  of  deep  pain.  "  I  must,  my  dear,  insist  on 
your  obedience,  but  not  now.  Miss  Good,  will  you 
take  Miss  Temple  to  the  chapel  ?  I  will  come  to 
you,  Cecil,  in  an  hour's  time." 

Cecil  walked  down  the  room  crying  silently.  Her 
deep  distress  and  her  very  firm  refusal  to  disclose 
what  she  knew  had  made  a  great  impression  on  her 
schoolfellows.  They  all  felt  troubled  and  uneasy, 
and  Annie  Forest's  face  was  very  pale. 

"This  thing,  this  wicked,  mischievous  thing  has 
gone  deeper  than  I  feared,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  when 
Cecil  had  left  the  room.  "  Only  some  very  strong 
motive  would  make  Cecil  Temple  behave  as  she  is 
now  doing.  She  is  influenced  by  a  mistaken  idea  of 
what  is  right ;  she  wishes  to  shield  the  guilty  person. 
I  may  as  well  tell  you  all,  young  ladies,  that,  dear 
as  Cecil  is  to  me,  she  is  now  under  the  ban  of  my 
severe  displeasure.  Until  she  confesses  the  truth 


86  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

and  humbles  herself  before  me,  I  cannot  be  recon- 
ciled to  her.  I  cannot  permit  her  to  associate  with 
you.  She  has  done  very  wrong,  and  her  punish- 
ment must  be  porportionately  severe.  There  is  one 
chance  for  her,  however.  Will  the  girl  whom  she 
is  mistakenly,  though  generously,  trying  to  shield, 
come  forward  and  confess  her  guilt,  and  so  release 
poor  Cecil  from  the  terrible  position  in  which  she 
has  placed  herself  ?  By  doing  so,  the  girl  who  has 
caused  all  this  misery  will  at  least  show  me  that 
she  is  trying  to  repent  ?" 

Mrs.  Willis  paused  again,  and  now  she  looked 
down  the  room  with  a  face  of  almost  entreaty. 
Several  pairs  of  eyes  were  fixed  anxiously  on  her, 
several  looked  away,  and  many  girls  glanced  in  the 
direction  of  Annie  Forest,  who,  feeling  herself  sus- 
pected, returned  their  glances  with  bold  defiance, 
and  instantly  assumed  her  most  reckless  manner. 

Mrs.  Willis  waited  for  a  full  minute. 

"The  culprit  is  not  noble  enough,"  she  said  then. 
"  Now,  girls,  I  must  ask  each  of  you  to  come  up  one 
by  one  and  deny  or  confess  this  charge.  As  you 
do  so,  you  are  silently  to  leave  the  school-room  and 
go  up  to  your  rooms,  and  prepare  for  the  walk 
which  has  been  so  painfully  delayed.  Miss  Conway, 
you  are  at  the  head  of  the  school,  will  you  set  the 
example  ?" 

One  by  one  the  girls  of  the  head  class  stepped  up 
to  their  teacher,  and  of  each  one  she  asked  the  same 
question  : 

"  Are  you  guilty  ?" 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  8" 

Each  girl  replied  in  the  negative  and  walked  out 
of  the  schoolroom.  The  second  class  followed  the 
example  of  the  first,  and  then  the  third  class  came 
up  to  their  teacher.  Several  ears  were  strained  to 
hear  Annie  Forest's  answer,  but  her  eyes  were  lifted 
fearlessly  to  Mrs.  Willis'  face,  and  her  "  No !"  was 
heard  all  over  the  room. 


83  A   WORLD  OF 


CHAPTER  XII. 

IN     THE   CHAPEL. 

THE  BRIGHT  light  from  a  full  noontide  sun  was 
shini*ig  in  colored  bars  through  the  richly-painted 
windows  of  the  little  chapel  when  Mrs.  Willis 
sought  Cecil  Temple  there. 

Cecil's  face  was  in  many  ways  a  remarkable  one. 

Her  soft  brown  eyes  were  generally  filled  with  a 
steadfast  and  kindly  ray.  Gentleness  was  her 
special  prerogative,  but  there  was  nothing  weak 
about  her — hers  was  the  gentleness  of  a  strong,  and 
pure,  and  noble  soul.  To  know  Cecil  was  to  love 
her.  She  was  a  motherless  girl,  and  the  only  child 
of  a  most  indulgent  father.  Colonel  Temple  was 
now  in  India,  and  Cecil  was  to  finish  her  education 
under  Mrs.  Willis'  care,  and  then,  if  necessary,  to 
join  her  father. 

Mrs.  Willis  had  always  taken  a  special  interest  in 
this  girl.  She  admired  her  for  her  great  moral 
worth.  Cecil  was  not  particularly  clever,  but  she 
was  so  studious,  so  painstaking,  that  she  always  kept 
a  high  place  in  class.  She  was  without  doubt  a  re- 
ligious girl,  but  there  was  nothing  of  the  prig  about 
She  was  not,  however,  ashamed  of  her  religion, 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS,  89 

and,  if  the  fitting  occasion  arose,  she  was  fearless  in 
expressing  her  opinion. 

Mrs.  Willis  used  to  call  Cecil  her  "  little  standard- 
bearer,"  and  she  relied  greatly  on  her  influence  over 
the  third-class  girls.  Mrs.  Willis  considered  the 
third  class,  perhaps,  the  most  important  in  the 
school.  She  was  often  heard  to  say : 

"The  girls  who  fill  this  class  have  come  to  a 
turning  point — they  have  come  to  the  age  when 
resolves  may  be  made  for  life,  and  kept.  The  good 
third-class  girl  is  very  unlikely  to  degenerate  as  she 
passes  through  the  second  and  first  classes.  On  the 
other  hand,  there  is  very  little  hope  that  the  idle  or 
mischievous  third-class  girl  will  mend  her  ways  as 
she  goes  higher  in  the  school." 

Mrs.  Willis'  steps  were  very  slow,  and  her 
thoughts  extremely  painful,  as  she  entered  the  chapel 
to-day.  Had  any  one  else  offered  her  defiance  she 
would  have  known  how  to  deal  with  the  culprit,  but 
Cecil  would  never  have  acted  as  she  did  without  the 
strongest  motive,  and  Mrs.  Willis  felt  more  sorrow- 
ful than  angry  as  she  sat  down  by  the  side  of  her 
favorite  pupil. 

"  I  have  kept  you  waiting  longer  than  I  intended, 
my  dear,"  she  said.  "  I  was  unexpectedly  inter- 
rupted, and  I  am  sorry  ;  but  you  have  had  more  time 
to  think,  Cecil." 

"Yes,  I  have  thought,"  answered  Cecil,  in  a  very 
low  tone. 

"And,  perhaps,"  continued  her  governess,  "  in  this 
quiet  and  beautiful  and  sacred  place,  my  dear  pupil 
has  also  prayed  ?" 


90  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS, 

"  I  have  prayed,"  said  Cecil. 

"Then  you  have  been  guided,  Cecil,"  said  Mrs. 
Willis,  in  a  tone  of  relief.  "We  do  not  come  to 
God  in  our  distress  without  being  shown  the  right 
way.  Your  doubts  have  been  removed,  Cecil  ;  you 
can  now  speak  fully  to  me  :  can  you  not,  dear  ?" 

"  I  have  asked  God  to  tell  me  what  is  right,"  said 
Cecil.  "  I  don't  pretend  to  know.  I  am  very  much 
puzzled.  It  seems  to  me  that  more  good  would  be 
done  if  I  concealed  what  you  asked  me  to  confess 
in  the  school-room.  My  own  feeling  is  that  I 
ought  not  to  tell  you.  I  know  this  is  a  great  dis- 
obedience, and  I  am  quite  willing  to  receive  any 
punishment  you  think  right  to  give  me.  Yes,  I 
think  I  am  quite  willing  to  receive  any  punish- 
ment." 

Mrs.  Willis  put  her  hand  on  Cecil's  shoulder. 

"Ordinary  punishments  are  not  likely  to  affect 
you,  Cecil,"  she  said  ;  "  on  you  I  have  no  idea  of 
inflicting  extra  lessons,  or  depriving  you  of  half- 
holidays,  or  even  taking  away  your  drawing-room. 
But  there  is  something  else  you  must  lose,  and  that 
I  know  will  touch  you  deeply — I  must  remove  from 
you  my  confidence." 

Cecil's  face  grew  very  pale. 

"  And  your  love,  too  ?"  she  said,  looking  up  with 
imploring  eyes  ;  "  oh,  surely  not  your  love  as  well  ?" 

"I  ask  you  frankly,  Cecil,"  replied  Mrs.  Willis, 
"  can  perfect  love  exist  without  perfect  confidence  ? 
I  would  not  willingly  deprive  you  of  my  love,  but 
of  necessity  the  love  I  have  hitherto  felt  for  you 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  91 

must  be  altered — in  short,  the  old  love,  which  en- 
abled me  to  rest  on  you  and  trust  you,  will  cease." 

Cecil  covered  her  face  with  her  hands. 

"  This  punishment  is  very  cruel,"  she  said.  "  You 
are  right ;  it  reaches  down  to  my  very  heart.  But," 
she  added,  looking  up  with  a  strong  and  sweet  light 
in  her  face,  "  I  will  try  and  bear  it,  and  some  day 
you  will  understand." 

"  Listen,  Cecil,"  said  Mrs.  Willis  ;  "  you  have  just 
told  me  you  have  prayed  to  God,  and  have  asked 
Him  to  show  you  the  right  path.  Now,  my  dear, 
suppose  we  kneel  together,  and  both  of  us  ask  Him 
to  show  us  the  way  out  of  this  difficult  matter.  I 
want  to  be  guided  to  use  the  right  words  with  you, 
Cecil.  You  want  to  be  guided  to  receive  the  in- 
struction which  I,  as  your  teacher  and  mother-friend, 
would  give  you." 

Cecil  and  Mrs.  Willis  both  knelt  down,  and  the. 
head-mistress  said  a  few  words  in  a  voice  of  great 
earnestness  and  entreaty  ;  then  they  resumed  their 
seats. 

"Now,  Cecil,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  "you  must  re- 
member in  listening  to  me  that  I  am  speaking  to 
you  as  I  believe  God  wishes  me  to.  If  I  can  con- 
vince you  that  you  are  doing  wrong  in  concealing 
what  you  know  from  me,  will  you  act  as  I  wish  in 
the  matter  ?" 

"  I  long  to  be  convinced,"  said  Cecil,  in  a  low 
tone. 

"  That  is  right,  my  dear  ;  I  can  now  speak  to  your 
with  perfect  freedom.  My  words  you  will  remem-- 


92  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

ber,  Cecil,  are  now,  I  firmly  believe,  directed  by 
God  ;  they  are  also  the  result  of  a  large  experience. 
I  have  trained  many  girls.  I  have  watched  the 
phases  of  thought  in  many  young  minds.  Cecil, 
look  at  me.  I  can  read  you  like  a  book." 

Cecil  looked  up  expectantly. 

"  Your  motive  for  this  concealment  is  as  clear  as 
the  daylight,  Cecil.  You  are  keeping  back  what 
you  know  because  you  want  to  shield  some  one. 
Am  I  not  right,  my  dear  ?" 

The  color  flooded  Cecil's  pale  face.  She  bent  her 
head  in  silent  assent,  but  her  eyes  were  too  full  of 
tears,  and  her  lips  trembled  too  much  to  allow  her 
to  speak. 

"The  girl  you  want  to  defend,"  continued  Mrs. 
Willis,  in  that  clear,  patient  voice  of  hers,  "  is  one 
whom  you  and  I  both  love — is  one  for  whom  we  both 
have  prayed — is  one  for  whom  we  would  both 
gladly  sacrifice  ourselves  if  necessary.  Her  name 

"Oh,  don't,"  said  Cecil  imploringly — "don't  say 
her  name  ;  you  have  no  right  to  suspect  her." 

"  I  must  say  her  name,  Cecil,  dear.  If  you  suspect 
Annie  Forest,  why  should  not  I  ?  You  do  suspect 
her,  do  you  not,  Cecil  ?" 

Cecil  began  to  cry. 

"  I  know  it,"  continued  Mrs.  Willis.  "  Now,  Cecil, 
we  will  suppose,  terrible  as  this  suspicion  is,  fearfully 
as  it  pains  us  both,  that  Annie  Forest  is  guilty.  We 
must  suppose  for  the  sake  of  my  argument  that  this 
is  the  case.  Do  you  not  know,  my  dear  Cecil,  that 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  93 

you  are  doing  the  falsest,  cruelest  thing  by  dear 
Annie  in  trying  to  hide  her  sin  from  me  ?  Suppose, 
just  for  the  sake  of  our  argument,  that  this  cowardly 
conduct  on  Annie's  part  was  never  found  out  by  me; 
what  effect  would  it  have  on  Annie  herself  ?" 

"  It  would  save  her  in  the  eyes  of  the  school," 
said  Cecil. 

"  Just  so  ;  but  God  would  know  the  truth.  Her 
next  downfall  would  be  deeper.  In  short,  Cecil, 
under  the  idea  of  friendship  you  would  have  done 
the  cruelest  thing  in  all  the  world  for  your  friend." 

Cecil  was  quite  silent. 

"  This  is  one  way  to  look  at  it,"  continued  Mrs. 
Willis  ;  "  but  there  are  many  other  points  from  which 
this  case  ought  to  be  viewed.  You  owe  much  to 
Annie,  but  not  all — you  have  a  duty  to  perform  to 
your  other  schoolfellows.  You  have  a  duty  to  perform 
to  me.  If  you  possess  a  clue  which  will  enable  me 
to  convict  Annie  Forest  of  her  sin,  in  common  jus- 
tice you  have  no  right  to  withhold  it.  Remember, 
that  while  she  goes  about  free  and  unsuspected,  some 
other  girl  is  under  the  ban — some  other  girl  is 
watched  and  feared.  You  fail  in  your  duty  to  your 
schoolfellows  when  you  keep  back  your  knowledge, 
Cecil.  When  you  refuse  to  trust  me,  you  fail  in 
your  duty  to  your  mistress  ;  for  I  cannot  stamp  out 
this  evil  and  wicked  thing  from  our  midst  unless  I 
know  all.  When  you  conceal  your  knowledge,  you 
ruin  the  character  of  the  girl  you  seek  to  shield. 
When  you  conceal  your  knowledge,  you  go  against 
God's  express  wish.  There — I  have  spoken  to  you 
as  He  directed  me  to  speak." 


94  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Cecil  suddenly  sprang  to  her  feet. 

"I  never  thought  of  all  these  things,"  she  said. 
"You  are  right,  but  it  is  very  hard,  and  mine  is 
only  a  suspicion.  Oh,  do  be  tender  to  her,  and — 
forgive  me — may  I  go  away  now  ?" 

As  she  spoke,  she  pulled  out  the  torn  copy  of  Mrs. 
Browning,  laid  it  on  her  teacher's  lap,  and  ran 
swiftly  out  of  the  ckapel. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  95 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TALKING   OVER  THE  MYSTERY. 

ANNIE  FOREST,  sitting  in  the  midst  of  a  group  of 
eager  admirers,  was  chatting  volubly.  Never  had 
she  been  in  higher  spirits,  never  had  her  pretty  face 
looked  more  bright  and  daring. 

Cecil  Temple  coming  into  the  play-room,  started 
when  she  saw  her.  Annie,  however,  instantly  rose 
from  the  low  hassock  on  which  she  had  perched 
herself  and,  running  up  to  Cecil,  put  her  hand 
through  her  arm. 

"  We  are  all  discussing  the  mystery,  darling,"  she 
said  ;  "  we  have  discussed  it,  and  literally  torn  it  to 
shreds,  and  yet  never  got  at  the  kernel.  We  have 
guessed  and  guessed  what  your  motive  can  be  in 
concealing  the  truth  from  Mrs.  Willis,  and  we  all 
unanimously  vote  that  you  are  a  dear  old  martyr, 
and  that  you  have  some  admirable  reason  for  keep- 
ing back  the  truth.  You  cannot  think  what  an  ex- 
citement we  are  in — even  Susy  Drummond  has 
stayed  awake  to  listen  to  our  chatter.  Now,  Cecil, 
do  come  and  sit  here  in  this  most  inviting  little  arm- 
chair, and  tell  us  what  our  dear  head-mistress  said 
to  you  in  the  chapel.  It  did  seem  so  awful  to  send 
you  to  the  chapel,  poor  dear  Cecil." 


96  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Cecil  stood  perfectly  still  and  quiet  while  Annie 
was  pouring  out  her  torrent  of  eager  words ;  her 
eyes,  indeed,  did  not  quite  meet  her  companion's, 
but  she  allowed  Annie  to  retain  her  clasp  of  her  arm, 
and  she  evidently  listened  with  attention  to  her 
words.  Now,  however,  when  Miss  Forest  tried  to 
draw  her  into  the  midst  of  the  eager  and  animated 
group  who  sat  round  the  play-room  fire,  she  hesi- 
tated and  looked  longingly  in  the  direction  of  her 
peaceful  little  drawing-room.  Her  hesitation,  how- 
ever, was  but  momentary.  Quite  silently  she  walked 
with  Annie  down  the  large  play-room  and  entered 
the  group  of  girls. 

"  Here's  your  throne,  Queen  Cecil/'  said  Annie, 
trying  to  push  her  into  the  little  arm-chair ;  but 
Cecil  would  not  seat  herself. 

"  How  nice  that  you  have  come,  Cecil !"  said 
Mary  Pierce,  a  second-class  girl.  "  I  really  think — 
we  all  think — that  you  were  very  brave  to  stand  out 
against  Mrs.  Willis  as  you  did.  Of  course  we  are 
devoured  with  curiosity  to  know  what  it  means ; 
arn't  we,  Flo  ?" 

"  Yes,  we're  in  agonies,"  answered  Flo  Dunstan, 
another  second-class  girl. 

"  You  will  tell  exactly  what  Mrs.  Willis  said,  dar- 
ling heroine  ?"  proceeded  Annie  in  her  most  dulcet 
tones.  "  You  concealed  your  knowledge,  didn't 
you  ?  you  were  very  firm,  weren't  you  ?  dear,  brave 
love  !" 

"  For  my  part,  I  think  Cecil  Temple  the  soul  of 
brave  firmness,"  here  interrupted  Susan  Drummond. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  97 

w  I  fancy  she's  as  hard  and  firm  in  herself  when  she 
wants  to  conceal  a  thing  as  that  rocky  sweetmeat 
which  always  hurts  our  teeth  to  get  through.  Yes, 
I  do  fancy  that." 

"  Oh,  Susy,  what  a  horrid  metaphor !"  here  inter- 
rupted several  girls. 

One,  however,  of  the  eager  group  of  school-girls 
had  not  opened  her  lips  or  said  a  word ;  that  girl 
was  Hester  Thornton.  She  had  been  drawn  into 
the  circle  by  an  intense  curiosity  ;  but  she  had  made 
no  comment  with  regard  to  Cecil's  conduct.  If  she 
knew  anything  of  the  mystery  she  had  thrown  no 
light  on  it.  She  had  simply  sat  motionless,  with 
watchful  and  alert  eyes  and  silent  tongue.  Now,  for 
the  first  time,  she  spoke. 

"  I  think,  if  you  will  allow  her,  that  Cecil  has  got 
something  to  say,"  she  remarked. 

Cecil  glanced  down  at  her  with  a  very  brief  look 
of  gratitude. 

"  Thank  you,  Hester,"  she  said.  "  I  won't  keep 
you  a  moment,  girls.  I  cannot  offer  to  throw  any 
light  on  the  mystery  which  makes  us  all  so  miserable 
to-day ;  but  I  think  it  right  to  undeceive  you  with 
regard  to  myself.  I  have  not  concealed  what  I 
know  from  Mrs.  Willis.  She  is  in  possession  of  all 
the  facts,  and  what  I  found  in  my  desk  this  morning 
is  now  in  her  keeping.  She  has  made  me  see  that 
in  concealing  my  knowledge  I  was  acting  wrongly, 
and  whatever  pain  has  come  to  me  in  the  matter,  she 
now  knows  all." 

When  Cecil  had  finished  her  sad  little  speech  she 


98  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

walked  straight  out  of  the  group  of  girls,  and,  with- 
out  glancing  at  one  of  them,  went  across  the  play- 
room to  her  own  compartment.  She  had  failed  to 
observe  a  quick  and  startled  glance  from  Susan 
Drummond's  sleepy  blue  eyes,  nor  had  she  heard 
her  mutter — half  to  her  companions,  half  to  her- 
self : 

"  Cecil  is  not  like  the  rocky  sweetmeat ;  I  was 
mistaken  in  her." 

Neither  had  Cecil  seen  the  flash  of  almost  triumph 
in  Hester's  eyes,  nor  the  defiant  glance  she  threw  at 
Miss  Forest.  Annie  stood  with  her  hands  clasped, 
and  a  little  frown  of  perplexity  between  her  brows, 
for  a  moment ;  then  she  ran  fearlessly  down  the 
play-room,  and  said  in  a  low  voice  at  the  other  side 
of  Cecil's  curtains : 

"  May  I  come  in  ?" 

Cecil  said  "Yes,"  and  Annie,  entering  the  pretty 
little  drawing-room,  flung  her  arms  round  Miss 
Temple's  neck. 

"Cecil,"  she  exclaimed  impulsively,  "you're  in 
great  tiouble.  I  am  a  giddy,  reckless  thing,  I 
know,  but  I  don't  laugh  at  people  when  they  are  in 
real  trouble.  Won't  you  tell  me  all  about  it, 
Cecil  ?" 

"  I  will,  Annie.  Sit  down  there  and  I  will  tell 
you  everything.  I  think  you  have  a  right  to  know, 
and  I  am  glad  you  have  come  to  me.  I  thought 
perhaps — but  no  matter.  Annie,  can't  you  guess 
what  I  am  going  to  say  ?" 

"  No,  I'm  sure  I  can't,"  said  Annie.     "  I  saw  for  a 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  99 

moment  or  two  to-day  that  some  of  those  absurd 
girls  suspected  me  of  being  the  author  of  all  this 
mischief.  Now,  you  know,  Cecil,  I  love  a  bit  of  fun 
beyond  words.  If  there's  any  going  on  I  feel 
nearly  mad  until  I  am  in  it ;  but  what  was  done  to- 
day was  not  at  all  in  accordance  with  my  ideas  of 
fun.  To  tear  up  Miss  Russell's  essay  and  fill  her 
desk  with  stupid  plum-cake  and  Turkish  delight 
seems  to  me  but  a  sorry  kind  of  jest.  Now,  if  I  had 
been  guilty  of  that  sort  of  thing,  I'd  have  managed 
something  far  cleverer  than  that.  If  /  had  tampered 
with  Dora  Russell's  desk,  I'd  have  done  the  thing  in 
style.  The  dear,  sweet,  dignified  creature  should 
have  shrieked  in  real  terror.  You  don't  know,  per- 
haps, Cecil,  that  our  admirable  Dora  is  no  end  of  a 
coward.  I  wonder  what  she  would  have  said  if  I 
had  put  a  little  nest  of  field-mice  in  her  desk  !  I  saw 
that  the  poor  thing  suspected  me,  as  she  gave  way 
to  her  usual  little  sneer  about  the  '  under-bred  girl ;' 
but,  of  course,  you  know  me,  Cecil.  Why,  my  dear 
Cecil,  what  is  the  matter  ?  How  white  you  are,  and 
you  are  actually  crying  !  What  is  it,  Cecil  ?  what  is 
it,  Cecil,  darling  ?" 

Cecil  dried  her  eyes  quickly. 

"You  know  my  pet  copy  of  Mrs.  Browning's 
poems,  don't  you,  Annie  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  of  course.  You  lent  it  to  me  one  day. 
Don't  you  remember  how  you  made  me  cry  over 
jhat  picture  of  little  Alice,  the  over-worked  factory 
girl  ?  What  about  the  book,  Cecil  ?" 

"  I   found  the  book  in  my  desk,"  said  Cecil,  in  a 


100  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

steady  tone,  and  now  fixing  her  eyes  on  Annie,  who 
knelt  by  her  side — "  I  found  the  book  in  my  desk, 
although  I  never  keep  it  there ;  for  it  is  quite 
Against  the  rules  to  keep  our  recreation  books  in 
our  school  desks,  and  you  know,  Annie,  I  always 
think  it  is  so  much  easier  to  keep  these  little  rules. 
They  are  matters  of  duty  and  conscience,  after  all. 
I  found  my  copy  of  Mrs.  Browning  in  my  desk  this 
morning  with  the  cover  torn  off,  and  with  a  very 
painful  and  ludicrous  caricature  of  our  dear  Mrs. 
Willis  sketched  on  the  title-page." 

"  What  ?"  said  Annie.     "  No,  no  ;  impossible  !" 
"  You  know  nothing  about  it,  do  you,  Annie  ?" 
"  I  never  put  it  there,  if  that's  what  you  mean," 
said  Annie.     But  her  face  had  undergone  a  curious 
change.  Her  light  and  easy  and  laughing  manner 
had  altered.    When  Cecil  mentioned  the  caricature 
she  flushed  a  vivid  crimson.     Her  flush  had  quickly 
died  away,  leaving  her  olive-tinted  face  paler  than 
its  wont. 

"  I  see,"  she  said,  after  a  long  pause,  "  you,  too, 
suspected  me,  Cecil,  and  that  is  why  you  tried  to 
conceal  the  thing.  You  know  that  I  am  the  only 
girl  in  the  school  who  can  draw  caricatures,  but  did 
you  suppose  that  I  would  show  her  dishonor  ?  Of 
course  things  look  ugly  for  me,  if  this  is  what  you 
found  in  your  book  ;  but  I  did  not  think  that  you 
would  suspect  me,  Cecil." 

"  I  will  believe  you,  Annie,"  said  Cecil,  eagerly. 
"I  long  beyond  words  to  believe  you.  With  all 
your  faults,  no  one  has  ever  yet  found  you  out  in  a 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  1Q1 

lie.  If  you  look  at  me,  Annie,  and  tell  me  honestly 
that  you  know  nothing  whatever  about  that  cari- 
cature, I  will  believe  you.  Yes,  I  will  believe  you 
fully,  and  I  will  go  with  you  to  Mrs.  Willis  and 
tell  her  that,  whoever  did  the  wrong,  you  are  inno- 
cent in  this  matter.  Say  you  know  nothing  about 
it,  dear,  dear  Annie,  and  take  a  load  off  my  heart." 

"  I  never  put  the  caricature  into  your  book, 
Cecil." 

"And  you  know  nothing  about  it  ?" 

"  I  cannot  say  that  ;  I  never — never  put  it  in  your 
book." 

"Oh,  Annie,"  exclaimed  poor  Cecil,  "you  are 
trying  to  deceive  me.  Why  won't  you  be  brave  ? 
Oh,  Annie,  I  never  thought  you  would  stoop  to  a 
lie." 

"  I'm  telling  no  lie,"  answered  Annie  with  sudden 
passion.  "  I  do  know  something  about  the  carica- 
ture, but  I  never  put  it  into  that  book.  There  !  you 
doubt  me,  you  have  ceased  to  believe  me,  and  I 
won't  waste  any  more  words  on  the  matter." 


.-.•[•-.•V 


102  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
"SENT  TO    COVENTRY." 

THERE  were  many  girls  in  the  school  who  remenv 
bered  that  dismal  half-holiday — they  remembered 
its  forced  mirth  and  its  hidden  anxiety ;  and  as  the 
hours  flew  by  the  suspicion  that  Annie  Forest  was 
the  author  of  all  the  mischief  grew  and  deepened. 
A  school  is  like  a  little  world,  and  popular  opinion 
is  apt  to  change  with  great  rapidity.  Annie  was 
undoubtedly  the  favorite  of  the  school ;  but  favor- 
ites are  certain  to  have  enemies,  and  there  were 
several  girls  unworthy  enough  and  mean  enough  to 
be  jealous  of  poor  Annie's  popularity.  She  was  the 
kind  of  girl  whom  only  very  small  natures  could 
really  dislike.  Her  popularity  arose  from  the  simple 
fact  that  hers  was  a  peculiarly  joyous  and  unselfish 
nature.  She  was  a  girl  with  scarcely  any  self- 
consciousness  ;  those  she  loved,  she  loved  devotedly; 
she  threw  herself  with  a  certain  feverish  impetu- 
osity into  their  lives,  and  made  their  interest  her 
own.  To  get  into  mischief  and  trouble  for  the  sake 
of  a  friend  was  an  every-day  occurrence  with  Annie. 
She  was  not  the  least  studious  ;  she  had  no  one 
particular  talent,  unless  it  was  an  untrained  and 
birdlike  voice  ;  she  was  always  more  or  less  in  hot 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  103 

water  about  her  lessons,  always  behindhand  in  her 
tasks,  always  leaving  undone  what  she  should  do, 
and  doing  what  she  should  not  do.  She  was  a  con- 
tradictory, erratic  creature — jealous  of  no  one, 
envious  of  no  one — dearly  loving  a  joke,  and  many 
times  inflicting  pain  from  sheer  thoughtlessness,  but 
always  ready  to  say  she  was  sorry,  always  ready  to 
make  friends  again. 

It  is  strange  that  such  a  girl  as  Annie  should  have 
enemies,  but  she  had,  and  in  the  last  few  weeks  the 
feeling  of  jealousy  and  envy  which  had  always  been 
smouldering  in  some  breasts  took  more  active  form. 
Two  reasons  accounted  for  this :  Hester's  openly 
avowed  and  persistent  dislike  to  Annie,  and  Miss 
Russell's  declared  conviction  that  she  was  under- 
bred and  not  a  lady. 

Miss  Russell  was  the  only  girl  in  the  first  class 
who  had  hitherto  given  wild  little  Annie  a  thought. 

In  the  first  class,  to-day,  Annie  had  to  act  the  un- 
pleasing  part  of  the  wicked  little  heroine.  Miss 
Russell  was  quite  certain  of  Annie's  guilt ;  she  and 
her  companions  condescended  to  discuss  poor  Annie 
and  to  pull  all  her  little  virtues  to  pieces,  and  to 
magnify  her  sins  to  an  alarming  extent. 

After  two  or  three  hours  of  judicious  conversa- 
tion, Dora  Russell  and  most  of  the  other  first-class 
girls  decided  that  Annie  ought  to  be  expelled,  and 
unanimously  resolved  that  they,  at  least,  would  do 
what  they  could  to  "  send  her  to  Coventry." 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  school  Annie  also  had 
a  few  enemies,  and  these  girls,  having  carefully 


104  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

observed  Hester's  attitude  toward  her,  now  came 
up  close  to  this  dignified  little  lady,  and  asked  her 
boldly  to  declare  her  opinion  with  regard  to  Annie's 
guilt. 

Hester,  without  the  least  hesitation,  assured  them 
that  "  of  course  Annie  had  done  it." 

"  There  is  not  room  for  a  single  doubt  on  the  sub- 
ject," she  said  ;  "  there — look  at  her  now." 

At  this  instant  Annie  was  leaving  Cecil's  com- 
partment, and  with  red  eyes,  and  hair,  as  usual, 
falling  about  her  face,  was  running  out  of  the  play- 
room. She  seemed  in  great  distress  ;  but,  neverthe- 
less, before  she  reached  the  door,  she  stopped  to 
pick  up  a  little  girl  of  five,  who  was  fretting  about 
some  small  annoyance.  Annie  took  the  little  one 
in  her  arms,  kissed  her  tenderly,  whispered  some 
words  in  her  ear,  which  caused  the  little  face  to 
light  up  with  some  smiles  and  the  round  arms  to 
clasp  Annie  with  an  ecstatic  hug.  She  dropped 
the  child,  who  ran  back  to  play  merrily  with  her 
companions,  and  left  the  room. 

The  group  of  middle-class  girls  still  sat  on  by  the 
fire,  but  Hester  Thornton  now,  not  Annie,  was  the 
center  of  attraction.  It  was  the  first  time  in  all 
her  young  life  that  Hester  had  found  herself  in  the 
enviable  position  of  a  favorite ;  and  without  at  all 
knowing  what  mischief  she  was  doing,  she  could 
not  resist  improving  the  occasion,  and  making  the 
most  of  her  dislike  for  Annie. 

Several  of  those  who  even  were  fond  of  Miss 
Forest  came  round  to  the  conviction  that  she  was 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  105 

really  guilty,  and  one  by  one,  as  is  the  fashion  not 
only  among  school  girls  but  in  the  greater  world 
outside,  they  began  to  pick  holes  in  their  former 
favorite.  These  girls,  too,  resolved  that,  if  Annie 
were  really  so  mean  as  maliciously  to  injure  other 
girls'  property  and  get  them  into  trouble,  she  must 
be  "  sent  to  Coventry." 

"  What's  Coventry  ?"  asked  one  of  the  little  ones, 
the  child  whom  Annie  had  kissed  and  comforted, 
now  sidling  up  to  the  group. 

"  Oh,  a  nasty  place,  Phena,"  said  Mary  Bell, 
putting  her  arm  round  the  pretty  child  and  drawing 
her  to  her  side. 

"  And  who  is  going  there  ?" 

"  Why,  I  am  afraid  it  is  naughty  Annie  Forest." 

"  She's  not  naughty !  Annie  sha'n't  go  to  any 
nasty  place.  I  hate  you,  Mary  Bell."  The  little 
one  looked  round  the  group  with  flashing  eyes  of 
defiance,  then  wrenched  herself  away  to  return  to 
her  younger  companions. 

"  It  was  stupid  of  you  to  say  that,  Mary,"  re- 
marked one  of  the  girls.  "  Well,"  she  continued, 
"  I  suppose  it  is  all  settled,  and  poor  Annie,  to  say 
the  least  of  it,  is  not  a  lady.  For  my  own  part,  I 
always  thought  her  great  fun,  but  if  she  is  proved 
guilty  of  this  offense  I  wash  my  hands  of  her." 

"  We  all  wash  our  hands  of  her,"  echoed  the  girls, 
with  the  exception  of  Susan  Drummond,  who,  as 
usual,  was  nodding  in  her  chair. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Susy  ?"  asked  one  or  two ; 
41  you  have  not  opened  your  lips  all  this  time." 


106  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  I — eh  ? — what  ?"  asked  Susan,  stretching  her- 
self and  yawning,  "oh,  about  Annie  Forest — I 
suppose  you  are  right,  girls.  Is  not  that  the  tea- 
gong?  I'm  awfully  hungry." 

Hester  Thornton  went  into  the  tea-room  that 
evening  feeling  particularly  virtuous,  and  with  an 
idea  that  she  had  distinguished  herself  in  some 
way. 

Poor  foolish,  thoughtless  Hester,  she  little  guessed 
what  seed  she  had  sown,  and  what  a  harvest  she 
was  preparing  for  her  own  reaping  by-and-by. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRL!*.  107 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ABOUT   SOME    PEOPLE   WHO    THOUGHT    NO  EVIL. 

A  FEW  DAYS  after  this  Hester  was  much  delighted? 
to  receive  an  invitation  from  her  little  friends,  the 
Misses  Bruce.  These  good  ladies  had  net  forgotten- 
the  lonely  and  miserable  child  whom  they  had  com- 
forted not  a  little  during  her  journey  to  school  six- 
weeks  ago.  They  invited  Hester  to  spend  the  next 
half -holiday  with  them,  and  as  this  happened  to  fall 
on  a  Saturday,  Mrs.  Willis  gave  Hester  permission 
to  remain  with  her  friends  until  eight  o'clock,  when- 
she  would  send  the  carriage  to  fetch  her  home. 

The  trouble  about  Annie  had  taken  place  the 
Wednesday  before,  and  all  the  girls'  heads  were  full 
of  the  uncleared-up  mystery  when  Hester  started  on- 
her  little  expedition. 

Nothing  was  known  ;  no  fresh  light  had  been 
thrown  on  the  subject.  Everything  went  on  as  usual 
within  the  school,  and  a  casual  observer  would  never 
have  noticed  the  cloud  which  rested  over  that  usually 
happy  dwelling.  A  casual  observer  would  have 
noticed  little  or  no  change  in  Annie  Forest ;  her 
merry  laugh  was  still  heard,  her  light  step  still 
danced  across  the  play-room  floor,  she  was  in  her 
place  in  class,  and  was,  if  anything,  a  little  more  aV 


108  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

tentive  and  a  little  more  successful  over  her  lessons. 
Her  pretty  piquant  face,  her  arch  expression,  the 
bright,  quick  and  droll  glance  which  she  alone  could 
give,  were  still  to  be  seen  ;  but  those  who  knew  her 
well  and  those  who  loved  her  best  saw  a  change  in 
Annie. 

In  the  play-room  she  devoted  herself  exclusively 
to  the  little  ones  ;  she  never  went  near  Cecil  Temple's 
drawing-room  ;  she  never  mingled  with  the  girls  of 
the  middle  school  as  they  clustered  round  the  cheer- 
ful fire.  At  meal-times  she  ate  little,  and  her  room- 
fellow  was  heard  to  declare  that  she  was  awakened 
more  than  once  in  the  middle  of  the  night  by  the 
sound  of  Annie's  sobs.  In  chapel,  too,  when  she 
fancied  herself  quite  unobserved,  her  face  wore  an 
.expression  of  great  pain  ;  but  if  Mrs.  Willis  happened 
to  glance  in  her  direction,  instantly  the  little  mouth 
became  demure  and  almost  hard,  the  dark  eyelashes 
were  lowered  over  the  bright  eyes,  the  whole  ex- 
pression of  the  face  showed  the  extreme  of  indiffer- 
ence. Hester  felt  more  sure  than  ever  of  Annie's 
guilt ;  but  one  or  two  of  the  other  girls  in  the  school 
wavered  in  this  opinion,  and  would  have  taken  Annie 
out  of  "  Coventry "  had  she  herself  made  the  small- 
est advance  toward  them. 

Annie  and  Hester  had  not  spoken  to  each  other 
now  for  several  days  ;  but  on  this  afternoon,  which 
was  a  bright  one  in  early  spring,  as  Hester  was 
changing  her  school-dress  for  her  Sunday  one,  and 
preparing  for  her  visit  to  the  Misses  Bruce,  there 
-came  a  li#ht  knock  at  her  door.  She  said,  "  Come 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  109 

in  !"  rather  impatiently,  for  she  was  in  a  hurry,  and 
dreaded  being  kept. 

To  her  surprise  Annie  Forest  put  in  her  curly 
head,  and  then,  dancing"  with  her  usual  light  move- 
ment across  the  room,  she  laid  a  little  bunch  of 
dainty  spring  flowers  on  the  dressing-table  beside 
Hester. 

Hester  stared,  first  at  the  intruder,  and  then  at 
the  early  primroses.  She  passionately  loved  flow- 
ers, and  would  have  exclaimed  with  ecstasy  at  these 
had  any  one  brought  them  in  except  Annie. 

"  I  want  you,"  said  Annie,  rather  timidly  for  her, 
"  to  take  these  flowers  from  me  to  Miss  Agnes  and 
Miss  Jane  Bruce.  It  will  be  very  kind  of  you  if  you 
will  take  them.  I  am  sorry  to  have  interrupted 
you — thank  you  very  much." 

She  was  turning  away  when  Hester  compelled 
herself  to  remark  : 

"  Is  there  any  message  with  the  flowers  ?" 

"  Oh,  no — only  Annie  Forest's  love.  They'll  un- 
derstand  "  she  turned  half  round  as  she  spoke, 

and  Hester  saw  that  her  eyes  had  filled  with  tears. 
She  felt  touched  in  spite  of  herself.  There  was 
something  in  Annie's  face  now  which  reminded  her 
of  her  darling  little  Nan  at  home.  She  had  seen 
the  same  beseeching,  sorrowful  look  in  Nan's  brown 
eyes  when  she  had  wanted  her  friends  to  kiss  her 
and  take  her  to  their  hearts  and  love  her. 

Hester  would  not  allow  herself,  however,  to  feel 
any  tenderness  toward  Annie.  Of  course  she  was 
not  really  a  bit  like  sweet  little  Nan,  and  it  was  ab- 


110  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

surd  to  suppose  that  a  great  girl  like  Annie  could 
want  caressing  and  petting  and  soothing  ;  still,  in 
spite  of  herself,  Annie's  look  haunted  her,  and  she 
took  great  care  of  the  little  flower-offering,  and  pre- 
sented it  with  Annie's  message  instantly  on  her  ar- 
rival to  the  little  old  ladies. 

Miss  Jane  and  Miss  Agnes  were  very  much  pleased 
with  the  early  primroses.  They  looked  at  one  an- 
other and  said : 

"Poor  dear  little  girl,"  in  tender  voices,  and  then 
they  put  the  flowers  into  one  of  their  daintiest  vases, 
and  made  much  of  them,  and  showed  them  to  any 
visitors  who  happened  to  call  that  afternoon. 

Their  little  house  looked  something  like  a  doll's 
house  to  Hester,  who  had  been  accustomed  all  her 
life  to  large  rooms  and  spacious  passages  ;  but  it  was 
the  sweetest,  daintiest,  and  most  charming  little 
abode  in  the  world.  It  was  not  unlike  a  nest,  and 
the  Misses  Bruce  in  certain  ways  resembled  bright 
little  robin  redbreasts,  so  small,  so  neat,  so  chirrupy 
they  were. 

Hester  enjoyed  her  afternoon  immensely  ;  the  lit- 
tle ladies  were  right  in  their  prophesy,  and  she  was 
no  longer  lonely  at  school.  She  enjoyed  talking 
about  her  schoolfellows,  about  her  new  life,  about 
her  studies.  The  Misses  Bruce  were  decidedly  fond 
of  a  gossip,  but  something  which  she  could  not  at  all 
define  in  their  manner  prevented  Hester  from  retail- 
ing for  their  benefit  any  unkind  news.  They  told 
her  frankly  at  last  that  they  were  only  interested  in 
the  good  things  which  went  on  in  the  school,  and 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  HI 

that  they  found  no  pursuit  so  altogether  delightful 
as  finding  out  the  best  points  in  all  the  people  they 
came  across.  They  would  not  even  laugh  at  sleepy, 
tiresome  Susan  Drummond  ;  on  the  contrary,  they 
pitied  her,  and  Miss  Jane  wondered  if  the  girl  could 
be  quite  well,  whereupon  Miss  Agnes  shook  her 
head,  and  said  emphatically  that  it  was  Hester's  duty 
to  rouse  poor  Susy,  and  to  make  her  waking  life  so 
interesting  to  her  that  she  should  no  longer  care  to 
spend  so  many  hours  in  the  world  of  dreams. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  being  so  kind-hearted, 
so  gentle,  so  charitable  as  to  make  the  people  who 
have  not  encouraged  these  virtues  feel  quite  uncom- 
fortable. By  the  mere  force  of  contrast  they  be- 
gin to  see  themselves  something  as  they  really  are. 
Since  Hester  had  come  to  Lavender  House  she  had 
taken  very  little  pains  to  please  others  rather  than 
herself,  and  she  was  now  almost  startled  to  see  how 
she  had  allowed  selfishness  to  get  the  better  of  her. 
While  the  Misses  Bruce  were  speaking,  old  longings, 
which  had  slept  since  her  mother's  death,  came 
back  to  the  young  girl,  and  she  began  to  wish  that 
she  could  be  kinder  to  Susan  Drummond,  and  that 
she  could  overcome  her  dislike  to  Annie  Forest. 
She  longed  to  say  something  about  Annie  to  the 
little  ladies,  but  they  evidently  did  not  wish  to 
allude  to  the  subject.  When  she  was  going  away, 
they  gave  her  a  small  parcel. 

"  You  will  kindly  give  this  to  your  schoolfellow, 
Miss  Forest,  Hester,  dear,"  they  both  said,  and  then 
they  kissed  her,  and  said  they  hoped  they  should 


112  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

see  her  again  ;  and  Hester  got  into  the  old-fashioned 
school  brougham,  and  held  the  brown  paper  parcel 
in  her  hand. 

As  she  was  going  into  the  chapel  that  night, 
Mary  Bell  came  up  to  her  and  whispered  : 

"  We  have  not  got  to  the  bottom  of  that  mystery 
about  Annie  Forest  yet.  Mrs.  Willis  can  evidently 
make  nothing  of  her,  and  I  believe  Mr.  Everard  is 
going  to  talk  to  her  after  prayers  to-night." 

As  she  was  speaking,  Annie  herself  pushed  rather 
rudely  past  the  two  girls  ;  her  face  was  flushed,  and 
her  hair  was  even  more  untidy  than  was  its  wont. 

"Here  is  a  parcel  for  you,  Miss  Forest,"  said 
Hester,  in  a  much  more  gentle  tone  than  she  was 
wont  to  use  when  she  addressed  this  objectionable 
schoolmate. 

All  the  girls  were  now  filing  into  the  chapel, 
and  Hester  should  certainly  not  have  presented  the 
little  parcel  at  that  moment. 

"  Breaking  the  rules,  Miss  Thornton,"  said  Annie  ; 
"  all  right,  toss  it  here."  Then,  as  Hester  failed  to 
comply,  she  ran  back,  knocking  her  schoolfellows 
out  of  place,  and,  snatching  the  parcel  from  Hester's 
hand,  threw  it  high  in  the  air.  This  was  a  piece  of  not 
only  willful  audacity  and  disobedience,  but  it  even 
savored  of  the  profane,  for  Annie's  step  was  on  the 
threshold  of  the  chapel,  and  the  parcel  fell  with  a 
noisy  bang  on  the  floor  some  feet  inside  the  little 
building. 

"  Bring  me  that  parcel,  Annie  Forest,"  whispered 
voice  of  the  head-mistress. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  113 

Annie  sullenly  complied  ;  but  when  she  came  up 
to  Mrs.  Willis,  her  governess  took  her  hand,  and 
pushed  her  down  into  a  low  seat  a  little  behind 
her. 

\ 


114  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

"AN    ENEMY    HATH   DONE    THIS." 

THE  SHORT  evening  service  was  over,  and  one  by 
tme,  in  orderly  procession,  the  girls  left  the  chapel. 
Annie  was  about  to  rise  to  her  feet  to  follow  her 
school-companions,  when  Mrs.  Willis  stooped  down 
-and  whispered  something  in  her  ear.  Her  face  be- 
came instantly  suffused  with  a  dull  red  ;  she  re- 
sumed her  seat,  and  buried  her  face  in  both  her  hands. 
One  or  two  of  the  girls  noticed  her  despondent 
attitude  as  they  left  the  chapel,  and  Cecil  Temple 
looked  back  with  a  glance  of  such  unutterable 
sympathy  that  Annie's  proud,  suffering  little  heart 
would  have  been  touched  could  she  but  have  seen 
the  look. 

Presently  the  young  steps  died  away,  and  Annie, 
raising  her  head,  saw  that  she  was  alone  with  Mr. 
Everard,  who  seated  himself  in  the  place  which  Mrs. 
Willis  had  occupied  by  her  side. 

"  Your  governess  has  asked  me  to  speak  to  you, 
•my  dear,"  he  said,  in  his  kind  and  fatherly  tones ; 
"  she  wants  us  to  discuss  this  thing  which  is  making 
you  so  unhappy  quite  fully  together."  Here  the 
clergyman  paused,  and  noticing  a  sudden  wistful 
and  soft  look  in  the  girl's  brown  eyes,  he  continued : 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  115 

"  Perhaps,  however,  you  have  something  to  say  to 
me  which  will  throw  light  on  this  mystery  ?" 

"No,  sir,  I  have  nothing  to  say,"  replied  Annie, 
and  now  again  the  sullen  expression  passed  like  a 
wave  over  her  face. 

"  Poor  child,"  said  Mr.  Everard.  "  Perhaps, 
Annie,"  he  continued,  "  you  do  not  quite  understand 
me — you  do  not  quite  read  my  motive  in  talking  to 
you  to-night.  I  am  not  here  in  any  sense  to  reprove 
you.  You  are  either  guilty  of  this  sin,  or  you  are 
not  guilty.  In  either  case  I  pity  you ;  it  is  very 
hard,  very  bitter,  to  be  falsely  accused — I  pity  you 
much  if  this  is  the  case ;  but  it  is  still  harder,  Annie, 
still  more  bitter,  still  more  absolutely  crushing  to 
be  accused  of  a  sin  which  we  are  trying  to  conceal. 
In  that  terrible  case  God  Himself  hides  His  face. 
Poor  child,  poor  child,  I  pity  you  most  of  all  if  you 
are  guilty." 

Annie  had  again  covered  her  face,  and  bowed  her 
head  over  her  hands.  She  did  not  speak  for  a 
moment,  but  presently  Mr.  Everard  heard  a  low  sob, 
and  then  another,  and  another,  until  at  last  her  whole 
frame  was  shaken  with  a  perfect  tempest  of  weeping. 

The  old  clergyman,  who  had  seen  many  strange 
phases  of  human  nature,  who  had  in  his  day  com- 
forted and  guided  more  than  one  young  school-girl, 
was  far  too  wise  to  do  anything  to  check  this  flow 
of  grief.  He  knew  Annie  would  speak  more  fully 
and  more  frankly  when  her  tears  were  over.  He 
was  right.  She  presently  raised  a  very  tear-stained 
face  to  the  clergym  n. 


N 


116  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  I  felt  very  bitter  at  your  coming  to  speak  to 
me,"  she  began.  "  Mrs.  Willis  has  always  sent  for 
you  when  everything  else  has  failed  with  us  girls, 
and  I  did  not  think  she  would  treat  me  so.  I  was 
determined  not  to  say  anything  to  you.  Now,  how- 
ever, you  have  spoken  good  words  to  me,  and  I  can't 
turn  away  from  you.  I  will  tell  you  all  that  is  in 
my  heart.  I  will  promise  before  God  to  conceal 
nothing,  if  only  you  will  do  one  thing  for  me." 

"  What  is  that,  my  child  ?" 

"  Will  you  believe  me  ?" 

"  Undoubtedly." 

"  Ah,  but  you  have  not  been  tried  yet.  I  thought 
Mrs.  Willis  would  certainly  believe ;  but  she  said 
the  circumstantial  evidence  was  too  strong — per- 
haps it  will  be  too  strong  for  you." 

"  I  promise  to  believe  you,  Annie  Forest  ;  if,  be- 
fore God,  you  can  assure  me  that  you  are  speaking 
the  whole  truth,  I  will  fully  believe  you." 

Annie  paused  again,  then  she  rose  from  her  seat 
and  stood  a  pace  away  from  the  old  minister. 

"  This  is  the  truth  before  God,"  she  said,  as  she 
locked  her  two  hands  together  and  raised  her  eyes 
freely  and  unshrinkingly  to  Mr.  Everard's  face. 

"  I  have  always  loved  Mrs.  Willis.  I  have  rea- 
sons for  loving  her  which  the  girls  don't  know 
about.  The  girls  don't  know  that  when  my  mother 
was  dying  she  gave  me  into  Mrs.  Willis'  charge, 
and  she  said,  'You  must  keep  Annie  until  her 
father  comes  back.'  Mother  did  not  know  where 
father  was  ;  but  she  said  he  would  be  sure  to  come 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  117 

back  some  day,  and  look  for  mother  and  me  ;  and 
Mrs.  Willis  said  she  would  keep  me  faithfully  until 
father  came  to  claim  me.  That  is  four  years  ago,  and 
my  father  has  never  come,  nor  have  I  heard  of  him, 
and  I  think,  I  am  almost  sure,  that  the  little 
money  which  mother  left  must  be  all  used  up.  Mrs. 
Willis  never  says  anything  about  money,  and  she 
did  not  wish  me  to  tell  my  story  to  the  girls. 
None  of  them  know  except  Cecil  Temple.  I  am 
sure  some  day  father  will  come  home,  and  he  will 
give  Mrs.  Willis  back  the  money  she  has  spent  on 
me  ;  but  never,  never,  never  can  he  repay  her  for  her 
goodness  to  me.  You  see  I  cannot  help  loving  Mrs. 
Willis.  It  is  quite  impossible  for  any  girl  to  have 
such  a  friend  and  not  to  love  her.  I  know  I  am 
very  wild,  and  that  I  do  all  sorts  of  mad  things.  It 
seems  to  me  that  I  cannot  help  myself  sometimes  ; 
but  I  would  not  willingly,  indeed,  I  would  not 
willingly  hurt  anybody.  Last  Wednesday,  as  you 
know,  there  was  a  great  disturbance  in  the  school. 
Dora  Russell's  desk  was  tampered  with,  and  so  was 
Cecil  Temple's.  You  know,  of  course,  what  was 
found  in  both  the  desks.  Mrs.  Willis  sent  for  me, 
and  asked  me  about  the  caricature  which  was  drawn 
in  Cecil's  book.  I  looked  at  it  and  I  told  her 
the  truth.  I  did  not  conceal  one  thing.  I  told  her 
the  whole  truth  as  far  as  I  knew  it.  She  did  not  be- 
lieve me.  She  said  so.  What  more  could  I  do  then  ?" 
Here  Annie  paused  ;  she  began  to  unclasp  and  clasp 
her  hands,  and  she  looked  full  at  Mr.  Ev^rard  with 
a  most  pleading  expression. 


118  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Do  you  mind  repeating  to  me  exactly  what  you 

said  to  your  governess  ?"  he  questioned. 

"  I  said  this,  sir.  I  said, '  Yes,  Mrs.  Willis,  I  did 
draw  that  caricature.  You  will  scarcely  understand 
how  I,  who  love  you  so  much,  could  have  been  so 
mad  and  ungrateful  as  to  do  anything  to  turn  you 
into  ridicule.  I  would  cut  off  my  right  hand  now 
not  to  have  done  it ;  but  I  did  do  it,  and  I  must  tell 
you  the  truth.'  'Tell  me,  dear,'  she  said,  quite 
gently  then.  'It  was  one  wet  afternoon  about  a 
fortnight  ago,'  I  said  to  her ;  '  a  lot  of  us  middle- 
school  girls  were  sitting  together,  and  I  had  a  pencil 
and  some  bits  of  paper,  and  I  was  making  up  funny 
little  groups  of  a  lot  of  us,  and  the  girls  were  scream- 
ing with  laughter,  for  somehow  I  managed  to  make 
the  likeness  that  I  wanted  in  each  case.  It  was 
very  wrong  of  me,  I  know.  It  was  against  the 
mles,  but  I  was  in  one  of  my  maddest  humors,  and  I 
really  did  not  care  what  the  consequences  were.  At 
last  one  of  the  girls  said  :  '  You  won't  dare  to  make 
a  picture  like  that  of  Mrs.  Willis,  Annie — you  know 
you  won't  dare.'  The  minute  she  said  that  name  I  be- 
gan to  feel  ashamed.  I  remembered  I  was  breaking 
one  of  the  rules,  and  I  suddenly  tore  up  all  my  bits 
of  paper  and  flung  them  into  the  fire,  and  I  said : 
'  No,  J  would  not  dare  to  show  her  dishonor.'  Well, 
afterward,  as  I  was  washing  my  hands  for  tea  up 
in  my  room,  the  temptation  came  over  me  so  strongly 
that  I  felt  I  could  not  resist  it,  to  make  a  funny 
little  sketch  of  Mrs.  Willis.  I  had  a  little  scrap  of 
thin  paper,  and  I  took  out  my  pencil  and  did  it  all 


A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  119 

In  a  minute.  It  seemed  to  me  very  funny,  and  I 
could  not  help  laughing  at  it ;  and  then  I  thrust  it 
into  my  private  writing-case,  which  I  always  keep 
locked,  and  I  put  the  key  in  my  pocket  and  ran 
downstairs.  I  forgot  all  about  the  caricature.  I 
had  never  shown  it  to  any  one.  How  it  got  into 
Cecil's  book  is  more  than  I  can  say.  When  I  had 
finished  speaking  Mrs.  Willis  looked  very  hard  at 
the  book.  '  You  are  right/  she  said ; '  this  caricature 
is  drawn  on  a  very  thin  piece  of  paper,  which  has 
been  cleverly  pasted  on  the  title-page.'  Then,  Mr. 
Everard,  she  asked  me  a  lot  of  questions.  Had  I 
ever  parted  with  my  keys  ?  Had  I  ever  left  my  desk 
unlocked  ?  '  No,'  I  said, '  my  desk  is  always  locked, 
and  my  keys  are  always  in  my  pocket.  Indeed,'  I 
added,  'my  keys  were  absolutely  safe  for  the  last 
week,  for  they  went  in  a  white  petticoat  to  the  wash, 
and  came  back  as  rusty  as  possible.'  I  could  not 
open  my  desk  for  a  whole  week,  which  was  a  great 
nuisance.  I  told  all  this  story  to  Mrs.  Willis,  and 
she  said  to  me  :  '  You  are  positively  certain  that  this 
caricature  has  been  taken  out  of  your  desk  by  some- 
body else,  and  pasted  in  here  ?  You  are  sure  that  the 
caricature  you  drew  is  not  to  be  found  in  your  desk  ?' 
*  Yes,'  I  said ;  'how  can  I  be  anything  but  sure  ;  these 
are  my  pencil  marks,  and  that  is  the  funny  little  turn 
I  gave  to  your  neck  which  made  me  laugh  when  I 
drew  it.  Yes ;  I  am  certainly  sure.' 

"'I  have  always  been  told,  Annie,'  Mrs.  Willis 
said, '  that  you  are  the  only  girl  in  the  school  who 
can  draw  these  caricatures.  You  have  never  seen  an 


120  A    WORLD  OF  GJRL& 

attempt  at  this  kind  of  drawing  among  your  scnool- 
fellows,  or  among  any  of  the  teachers  ?' 

" '  I  have  never  seen  any  of  them  try  this  special 
kind  of  drawing,'  I  said.  *  I  wish  I  was  like  them. 
I  wish  I  had  never,  never  done  it.' 

"'You  have  got  your  keys  now?'  Mrs.  Willis 
said. 

" '  Yes,'  I  answered,  pulling  them  all  covered  with 
rust  out  of  my  pocket. 

"  Then  she  told  me  to  leave  the  keys  on  the  table, 
and  to  go  upstairs  and  fetch  down  my  little  private 
desk. 

"  I  did  so,  and  she  made  me  put  the  rusty  key  in  the 
lock  and  open  the  desk,  and  together  we  searched 
through  its  contents.  We  pulled  out  everything,  or 
rather  I  did,  and  I  scattered  all  my  possessions  about 
on  the  table,  and  then  I  looked  up  almost  trium- 
phantly at  Mrs.  Willis. 

"'You  see  the  caricature  is  not  here,'  I  said; 
'  somebody  picked  the  lock  and  took  it  away.' 

"'This  lock  has  not  been  picked,'  Mrs.  Willis  said ; 
'  and  what  is  that  little  piece  of  white  paper  sticking 
out  of  the  private  drawer  ?' 

'"Oh,  I  forgot  my  private  drawer,'  I  said;  'but 
there  is  nothing  in  it — nothing  whatever,'  and  then  I 
touched  the  spring,  and  pulled  it  open,  and  there  lay 
the  little  caricature  which  I  had  drawn  in  the  bottom 
of  the  drawer.  There  it  lay,  not  as  I  had  left  it,  for  I 
had  never  put  it  into  the  private  drawer.  I  saw  Mrs. 
Willis'  face  turn  very  white,  and  I  noticed  that  her 
hands  trembled.  I  was  all  red  myself,  and  very  hot. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  121 

and  there  was  a.  choking  lump  in  my  throat,  and  I 
could  not  have  got  a  single  word  out  even  if  I  had 
wished  to.  So  I  began  scrambling  the  things  back 
into  my  desk,  as  hard  as  ever  I  could,  and  then  I 
locked  it,  and  put  the  rusty  keys  back  in  my  pocket. 

"What  am  I  to  believe  now,  Annie?"  Mrs.  Willis 
said. 

"'Believe  anything  you  like  no<v,'  I  managed  to 
say ;  and  then  I  took  my  desk  and  walked  out  of  the 
room,  and  would  not  wait  even  though  she  called  me 
back. 

"  That  is  the  whole  story,  Mr.  Everard,"  continued 
Annie.  "  I  have  no  explanation  whatever  to  give. 
I  did  make  the  one  caricature  of  my  dear  gover- 
ness. I  did  not  make  the  other.  The  second 
caricature  is  certainly  a  copy  of  the  first,  but  I  did 
not  make  it.  I  don't  know  who  made  it.  I  have 
no  light  whatever  to  throw  on  the  subject  You 
see  after  all,"  added  Annie  Forest,  raising  her  eyes 
to  the  clergyman's  face,  "  it  is  impossible  for  you  to 
believe  me.  Mrs.  Willis  does  not  believe  me,  and 
you  cannot  be  expected  to.  I  don't  suppose  you  are 
to  be  blamed.  I  don't  see  how  you  can  help  your- 
self." 

"  The  circumstantial  evidence  is  very  strong  against 
you,  Annie,"  replied  the  clergyman ;  "still,  I 
promised  to  believe,  and  I  have  no  intention  of  go- 
ing back  from  my  word.  If,  in  the  presence  of  God 
in  this  little  church,  you  would  willingly  and  delib- 
erately tell  me  a  lie  I  should  never  trust  human 
being  again.  No,  Annie  Forest,  you  have  many 


122  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

faults,  but  you  are  not  a  liar.  I  see  the  impress  of 
truth  on  your  brow,  in  your  eyes,  on  your  lips. 
This  is  a  very  painful  mystery,  my  child,  but  I 
believe  you.  I  am  going  to  see  Mrs.  Willis  now. 
God  bless  you,  Annie.  Be  brave,  be  courageous, 
don't  foster  malice  in  your  heart  to  any  unknown 
enemy.  An  enemy  has  truly  done  this  thing,  poor 
child ;  but  God  Himself  will  bring  this  mystery  to 
light.  Trust  Him,  my  dear ;  and  now  I  am  going 
to  see  Mrs  Willis." 

While  Mr.  Everard  was  speaking,  Annie's  whole 
expressive  face  had  changed  ;  the  sullen  look  had 
left  it ;  the  eyes  were  bright  with  renewed  hope ; 
the  lips  had  parted  in  smiles.  There  was  a  struggle 
for  speech,  but  no  words  came  :  the  young  girl 
stooped  down  and  raised  the  old  clergyman's 
withered  hands  to  her  lips. 

"  Let  me  stay  here  a  little  longer,"  she  managed 
to  say  at  last ;  and  then  he  left  her. 


A    WORLD  OF  G2RL&  185 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

"THE  SWEETS  ARE  POISONED.'* 

"  I  THINK,  my  dear  madam,"  said  Mr.  Everard  to 
Mrs.  Willis,  "that  you  must  believe  your  pupil. 
She  has  not  refused  to  confess  to  you  from  any 
stubbornness,  but  from  the  simple  reason  that  she 
has  nothing  to  confess.  I  am  firmly  convinced  that 
things  are  as  she  stated  them,  Mrs.  Willis.  There  is 
a  mystery  here  which  we  neither  of  us  can  explain, 
but  which  we  must  unravel." 

Then  Mrs.  Willis  and  the  clergyman  had  a  long 
and  anxious  talk  together.  It  lasted  for  a  long 
time,  and  some  of  its  results  at  least  were  manifest 
the  next  morning,  for,  just  before  the  morning's 
work  began,  Mrs.  Willis  came  to  the  large  school- 
room, and,  calling  Annie  Forest  to  her  side,  laid 
her  hand  on  the  young  girl's  shoulder. 

"  I  wish  to  tell  you  all,  young  ladies,"  she  said, 
"  that  I  completely  and  absolutely  exonerate  Annie 
Forest  from  having  any  part  in  the  disgraceful 
occurrence  which  took  place  in  this  school-room  a 
short  time  ago.  I  allude,  of  course,  as  you  all  know, 
to  the  book  which  was  found  tampered  with  in  Cecil 
Teiyv-'le's  desk.  Some  one  else  in  this  room  is 
guf  r  and  thte  mystery  has  still  to  be  unraveled, 


124  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

and  the  guilty  girl  has  still  to  come  forward  and 
declare  herself.  If  she  is  willing  at  this  moment  to 
Come  to  me  here,  and  fully  and  freely  confess  her 
sin,  I  will  quite  forgive  her." 

The  head-mistress  paused,  and,  still  with  her  hand 
on  Annie's  shoulder,  looked  anxiously  down  the 
long  room.  The  love  and  forgiveness  which  she 
felt  shone  in  her  eyes  at  this  moment.  No  girl  need 
2iave  feared  aught  but  tenderness  from  her  just 
then. 

k    No  one  stirred  ;  the  moment  passed,  and  a  look  of 
sternness  returned  to  the  mistress'  fine  face. 

"No,"  she  said,  in  her  emphatic  and  clear  tones, 

'"the  guilty  girl  prefers  waiting  until  God  discovers 

Iher  sin  for  her.    My  dear,  whoever  you  are,  that 

Ihour  is  coming,  and  you  cannot  escape  from  it.     In 

the  meantime,  girls,  I  wish  you  all  to  receive  Annie 

Forest  as  quite  innocent.     I  believe  in  her,  so  does 

Mr.  Everard,  and  so  must  you.    Any  one  who  treats 

Miss  Forest  except  as    a    perfectly    innocent    and 

truthful    girl    incurs    my    severe  displeasure.     My 

dear,  you  may  return  to  your  seat." 

Annie,  whose  face  was  partly  hidden  by  her  curly 
hair  during  the  greater  part  of  this  speech,  now 
tossed  it  back,  and  raised  her  brown  eyes  with  a 
look  of  adoration  in  them  to  her  teacher.  Mrs. 
Willis'  face,  however,  still  looked  harassed.  Her 
eyes  met  Annie's,  but  no  corresponding  glow  was 
Hndled  in  them ;  their  glance  was  just,  calm,  but 
cold.  . 
The  childish  heart  was  conscious  of  a  keen  pang 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  12>> 

01  agony,  and  Annie  went  back  to  her  lessons  with- 
out any  sense  of  exultation. 

The  fact  was  this  :  Mrs.  Willis'  judgment  and 
reason  had  been  brought  round  by  Mr.  Everard's 
words,  but  in  her  heart  of  hearts,  almost  unknown 
to  herself,  there  still  lingered  a  doubt  of  the  inno- 
cence of  her  wayward  and  pretty  pupil.  She  said 
over  and  over  to  herself  that  she  really  now  quite 
believed  in  Annie  Forest,  but  then  would  come 
those  whisperings  from  her  pained  and  sore  heart. 

"  Why  did  she  ever  make  a  caricature  of  one  who 
has  been  as  a  mother  to  her  ?  If  she  made  one  cari- 
cature, could  she  not  make  another?  Above  all 
things,  if  she  did  not  do  it,  who  did  ?" 

Mrs.  Willis  turned  away  from  these  unpleasant 
whispers — she  would  not  let  them  stay  with  her, 
and  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  their  ugly  words.  She 
had  publicly  declared  in  the  school  her  belief  in 
Annie's  absolute  innocence,  but  at  the  moment  when 
her  pupil  looked  up  at  her  with  a  world  of  love  and 
adoration  in  her  gaze,  she  found  to  her  own  infinite 
distress  that  she  could  not  give  her  the  old  love. 

Annie  went  back  to  her  companions,  and  bent 
her  head  over  her  lessons,  and  tried  to  believe  that 
she  was  very  thankful  and  very  happy,  and  Cecil 
Temple  managed  to  whisper  a  gentle  word  of  con- 
gratulation to  her,  and  at  the  twelve  o'clock  walk 
Annie  perceived  that  a  few  of  her  schoolfellows 
looked  at  her  with  friendly  eyes  again.  She  per- 
ceived now  that  when  she  went  into  the  play-room 
she  was  not  absolutely  tabooed,  and  that,  if  she 


126  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Ctiose,  she  might  speedily  resume  her  old  reign  of 
popularity.  Annie  had,  to  a  remarkable  extent,  the 
gift  of  inspiring  love,  and  her  old  favorites  would 
quickly  have  flocked  back  to  their  sovereign  had 
she  so  willed  it.  It  is  certainly  true  that  the  girls 
to  whom  the  whole  story  was  known  in  all  its  bear- 
ings found  it  difficult  to  understand  how  Annie 
could  be  innocent ;  but  Mr.  Everard's  and  Mrs. 
Willis*  assertions  were  too  potent  to  be  disregarded, 
and  most  of  the  girls  were  only  too  willing  to  let 
the  whole  affair  slide  from  their  minds,  and  to  take 
back  their  favorite  Annie  to  their  hearts  again. 

Annie,  however,  herself  did  not  so  will  it.  In  the 
playroom  she  fraternized  with  the  little  ones  who 
were  alike  her  friends  in  adversity  and  sunshine ; 
she  rejected  almost  coldly  the  overtures  of  her  old 
favorites,  but  played,  and  romped,  and  was  merry 
with  the  children  of  the  sixth  class.  She  even  de- 
clined Cecil's  invitation  to  come  and  sit  with  her  in 
her  drawing-room. 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  said.  "  I  hate  being  still ;  I  am  in 
no  humor  for  talk.  Another  time,  Cecil,  another 
time.  Now  then,  Sybil,  my  beauty,  get  well  on  my 
back,  and  I'll  be  the  willing  dog  carrying  you  round 
and  round  the  room." 

Annie's  face  had  not  a  trace  of  care  or  anxiety  on 
it,  but  her  eyes  would  not  quite  meet  Cecil's,  and 
Cecil  sighed  as  she  turned  away,  and  her  heart, 
too,  began  to  whisper  little,  mocking,  ugly  doubts  of 
poor  Annie. 

During  the  half-hour   before    tea   that    evening 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  127 

Annie  was  sitting  on  the  floor  with  a  small  child 
in  her  lap,  and  two  other  little  ones  tumbling  about 
her,  when  she  was  startled  by  a  shower  of  lollipops 
being  poured  over  her  head,  down  her  neck,  and 
into  her  lap.  She  started  up  and  met  the  sleepy 
gaze  of  Susan  Drummond. 

"That's  to  congratulate  you,  miss,"  said  Susan; 
"  you're  a  very  lucky  girl  to  have  escaped  as  you 
did." 

The  little  ones  began  putting  Susan's  lollipops 
vigorously  into  their  mouths.  Annie  sprang  to  her 
feet  shaking  the  sticky  sweetmeats  out  of  her  dress 
on  to  the  floor. 

"  What  have  I  escaped  from  ?"  she  asked,  turn- 
ing round  and  facing  her  companion  haughtily. 

"Oh,  dear  me  !"  said  Susan,  stepping  back  a  pace 
or  two.  "  I — ah — "  stifling  a  yawn — "  I  only  meant 
you  were  very  near  getting  into  an  ugly  scrape.  It's 
no  affair  of  mine,  I'm  sure  ;  only  I  thought  you'd 
like  the  lollipops." 

"  No,  I  don't  like  them  at  all,"  said  Annie,  "  nor 
you,  either.  Go  back  to  your  own  companions, 
please." 

Susan  sulkily  walked  away,  and  Annie  stooped 
down  on  the  floor. 

"  Now,  little  darlings,''  she  said,  "  you  mustn't 
eat  those.  No,  no,  they  are  not  good  at  all ;  and 
they  have  come  from  one  of  Annie's  enemies.  Most 
likely  they  are  full  of  poison.  Let  us  collect  them 
all,  every  one,  and  we  will  throw  them  into  the  fire 
before  we  go  to  tea." 


128  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  But  I  don't  think  there's  any  poison  in  them,** 
said  little  Janie  West  in  a  regretful  tone,  as  she 
gobbled  down  a  particularly  luscious  chocolate  cream; 
"  they  are  all  big,  and  fat,  and  bursty,  and  so  sweet, 
Annie,  dear." 

"  Never  mind,  Janie,  they  are  dangerous  sweeties 
all  the  same.  Come,  come,  throw  them  into  my 
apron,  and  I  will  run  over  and  toss  them  into  the 
fire,  and  we'll  have  time  for  a  game  of  leap-frog  be- 
fore tea;  oh,  fie,  Judy,"  as  a  very  small  fat  baby 
began  to  whimper,  "  you  would  not  eat  the  sweeties 
of  one  of  Annie's  enemies." 

This  last  appeal  was  successful.  The  children 
made  a  valiant  effort,  and  dashed  the  tempting  good- 
ies into  Annie's  alapaca  apron.  When  they  were 
all  collected,  she  marched  up  the  playroom  and  in 
the  presence  of  Susan  Drummond,  H ester  Thornton, 
Cecil  Temple,  and  several  more  of  her  school  com- 
panions, threw  them  into  the  fire. 

"So  much  for  that  overture,  Miss  Drummond," 
she  said,  making  a  mock  courtesy,  and  returning  once 
more  to  the  children. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  129 


CHAPTER  XVIIL 

IN  THE   HAMMOCK. 

JUST  at  this  time  the  weather  suddenly  changed. 
After  the  cold  and  dreariness  of  winter  came  soft 
spring  days — came  longer  evenings  and  brighter 
mornings. 

Hester  Thornton  found  that  she  could  dress  by 
daylight,  then  that  she  was  no  longer  cold  and  shiv- 
ering when  she  reached  the  chapel,  then  that  she 
began  intensely  to  enjoy  her  mid-day  walk,  then  that 
she  found  her  winter  things  a  little  too  hot,  until  at 
last,  almost  suddenly  it  seemed  to  the  expectant  and 
anxious  girls,  glorious  spring  weather  broke  upon  the 
world,  the  winds  were  soft  and  westerly,  the  buds 
swelled  and  swelled  into  leaf  on  the  trees,  and  the 
flowers  bloomed  in  the  delightful  old-fashioned 
gardens  of  Lavender  House.  Instantly,  it  seemed 
to  the  girls,  their  whole  lives  had  altered.  The  play- 
room was  deserted  or  only  put  up  with  on  wet  days. 
At  twelve  o'clock,  instead  of  taking  a  monotonous 
walk  on  the  roads,  they  ran  races,  played  tennis, 
croquet,  or  any  other  game  they  liked  best  in  the 
gardens.  Later  on  in  the  day,  when  the  sun  was 
not  so  powerful,  they  took  their  walk  ;  but  even 
then  they  had  time  to  rush  back  to  their  beloved 


130  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS, 

shady  garden  for  a  little  time  before  tea  and  prepa- 
ration for  their  next  day's  work.  Easter  came  this 
year  about  the  middle  of  April,  and  Easter  found 
these  girls  almost  enjoying  summer  weather.  How 
they  looked  forward  to  their  few  Easter  holidays ! 
what  plans  they  made,  what  tennis  matches  were  ar- 
ranged, what  games  and  amusements  of  all  sorts  were 
in  anticipation !  Mrs.  Willis  herself  generally  went 
away  for  a  few  days  at  Easter;  so  did  the  French 
governess,  and  the  school  was  nominally  placed  under 
the  charge  of  Miss  Good  and  Miss  Danesbury.  Mrs. 
Willis  did  not  approve  of  long  Easter  holidays ;  she 
never  gave  more  than  a  week,  and  in  consequence 
only  the  girls  who  lived  quite  near  went  home.  Out 
of  the  fifty  girls  who  resided  at  Lavender  House 
about  ten  went  away  at  Easter ;  the  remaining  forty 
stayed  behind,  and  were  often  heard  to  declare  that 
holidays  at  Lavender  House  were  the  most  delightful 
things  in  the  world. 

At  this  particular  Easter  time  the  girls  were  rather 
surprised  to  hear  that  Mrs.  Willis  had  made  up  her 
mind  not  to  go  away  as  usual ;  Miss  Good  was  to 
have  a  holiday,  and  Mrs.  Willis  and  Miss  Danesbury 
were  to  look  after  the  school.  This  was  felt  to  be  an 
unusual,  indeed  unheard  of,  proceeding,  and  the  girls 
commented  about  it  a  good  deal,  and  somehow, 
without  absolute*;7  intending  to  do  so,  they  began  to 
settle  in  their  own  nuMs  that  Mrs.  Willis  was  staying 
in  the  school  on  account  of  Annie  Forest,  and  that  in 
her  heart  of  hearts  she  did  not  absolutely  believe  in 
her  innocence.  Mrs.  Willis  certainly  gave  the  girls  no 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  131 

reason  to  come  to  this  conclusion ;  she  was  con- 
sistently kind  to  Annie,  and  had  apparently  quite 
restored  her  to  her  old  place  in  her  favor.  Annie 
was  more  gentle  than  of  old,  and  less  inclined  to 
get  into  scrapes ;  but  the  girls  loved  her  far  less  in 
her  present  unnatural  condition  of  reserve  and  good 
behavior  than  they  did  in  her  old  daring  and  hoy- 
denish  days.  Cecil  Temple  always  spent  Easter 
with  an  old  aunt  who  lived  in  a  neighboring 
town  ;  she  openly  said  this  year  that  she  did  not 
wish  to  go  away,  but  her  governess  would  not  allow 
her  to  change  her  usual  plans,  and  she  left  Lavender 
House  with  a  curious  feeling  of  depression  and  com- 
ing trouble.  As  she  was  getting  into  the  cab  which 
was  to  take  her  to  the  station  Annie  flew  to  her  side, 
threw  a  great  bouquet  of  flowers  which  she  had 
gathered  into  her  lap,  and,  flinging  her  arms  tightly 
found  her  neck,  whispered  suddenly  and  passion- 
ately : 

"  Oh,  Cecil,  believe  in  me." 

"  I— I— I  don't  know  that  I  don't,"  said  Cecil, 
rather  lamely. 

"  No,  Cecil,  you  don't — not  in  your  heart  of  hearts. 
Neither  you  nor  Mrs.  Willis — you  neither  of  you 
believe  in  me  from  the  very  bottom  of  your  hearts ; 
oh,  it  is  hard  !" 

Annie  gave  vent  to  a  little  sob,  sprang  away 
from  Cecil's  arms,  and  disappeared  into  a  shrubbery 
close  by. 

She  stayed  there  until  the  sound  of  the  retreating 
cab  died  away  in  the  avenue,  then,  tossing  back  her 


132  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

hair,  rearranging  her  rather  tattered  garden  hat, 
and  hastily  wiping  some  tears  from  her  eyes,  she 
came  out  from  her  retreat,  and  began  to  look 
around  her  for  some  amusement.  What  should  she 
do  ?  Where  should  she  go  ?  How  should  she 
occupy  herself  ?  Sounds  of  laughter  and  merriment 
filled  the  air;  the  garden  was  all  alive  with  gay 
young  figures  running  here  and  there.  Girls  stood 
in  groups  under  the  horse-chestnut  tree — girls 
walked  two  and  two  up  the  shady  walk  at  the  end 
of  the  garden — little  ones  gamboled  and  rolled  on 
the  grass — a  tennis  match  was  going  on  vigorously, 
and  the  croquet  ground  was  occupied  by  eight  girls 
of  the  middle  school.  Annie  was  one  of  the  most 
successful  tennis  players  in  the  school ;  she  had 
indeed  a  gift  for  all  games  of  skill,  and  seldom 
missed  her  mark.  Now  she  looked  with  a  certain 
wistful  longing  toward  the  tennis-court ;  but,  after 
a  brief  hesitation,  she  turned  away  from  it,  and 
entered  the  shady  walk  at  the  farther  end  of  the 
garden.  As  she  walked  along,  slowly,  meditatively, 
and  sadly,  her  eyes  suddenly  lighted  up.  Glancing 
to  one  of  the  tall  trees  she  saw  a  hammock  sus- 
pended there  which  had  evidently  been  forgotten 
during  the  winter.  The  tree  was  not  yet  quite  in 
leaf,  and  it  was  very  easy  for  Annie  to  climb  up  its 
branches  to  re-adjust  the  hammock,  and  to  get  into  it. 
After  its  winter  residence  in  the  tree  this  soft  couch 
was  found  full  of  withered  leaves,  and  otherwise 
rather  damp  and  uncomfortable.  Annie  tossed  the 
leaves  on  to  the  ground,  and  laughed  as  she  swung 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  133 

herself  gently  backward  and  forward.  Early  as  the 
season  still  was  the  sun  was*so  bright  and  the  air  so 
soft  that  she  could  not  but  enjoy  herself,  and  she 
laughed  with  pleasure,  and  only  wished  that  she 
had  a  fairy  tale  by  her  side  to  help  to  soothe  her  off 
to  sleep. 

In  the  distance  she  heard  some  children  calling 
" Annie,"  "Annie  Forest;"  but  she  was  far  too 
comfortable  and  too  lazy  to  answer  them,  and 
presently  she  closed  her  eyes  and  really  did  fall 
asleep. 

She  was  awakened  by  a  very  slight  sound — by 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  gentle  and  very  re- 
fined conversation  of  two  girls,  who  sat  under  the 
oak  tree  in  which  Annie's  hammock  swung.  Hear- 
ing the  voices,  she  bent  a  little  forward,  and  saw 
that  the  speakers  were  Dora  Russell  and  Hester 
Thornton.  Her  first  inclination  was  to  laugh,  toss 
down  some  leaves,  and  instantly  reveal  herself  ;  the 
next  she  drew  back  hastily,  and  began  to  listen  with 
all  her  ears. 

"  I  never  liked  her,"  said  Hester — "  I  never  even 
from  the  very  first  pretended  to  like  her.  I  think 
she  is  under-bred,  and  not  fit  to  associate  with  the 
other  girls  in  the  school-room." 

"She  is  treated  with  most  unfair  partiality," 
retorted  Miss  Russell  in  her  thin  and  rather  bitter 
voice.  "  I  have  not  the  smallest  doubt,  not  the 
smallest,  that  she  was  guilty  of  putting  those  messes 
into  my  desk,  of  destroying  my  composition,  and  of 
caricaturing  Mrs.  Willis  in  Cecil  Temple's  book.  I 


134  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

wonder  after  that  Mrs.  Willis  did  not  see  through 
her,  but  it  is  astonishing  to  what  lengths  favoritism 
will  carry  one.  Mrs.  Willis  and  Mr.  Everard  are 
behaving  in  a  very  unfair  way  to  the  rest  of  us  in 
upholding  this  commonplace,  disagreeable  girl ;  but 
it  will  be  to  Mrs.  Willis'  own  disadvantage,  Hester, 
I  am,  as  you  know,  leaving  school  at  midsummer, 
and  I  shall  certainly  use  all  my  influence  to  induce 
my  father  and  mother  not  to  send  the  younger  girls 
here ;  they  could  not  associate  with  a  person  like 
Miss  Forest." 

"  I  never  take  much  notice  of  her,"  said  Hester  ; 
"  but  of  course  what  you  say  is  quite  right,  Dora. 
You  have  great  discrimination,  and  your  sisters 
might  possibly  be  taken  in  by  her." 

"  Oh,  not  at  all,  I  assure  you  ;  they  know  a  true 
lady  when  they  see  her.  However,  they  must  not 
be  emperilled.  I  will  ask  my  parents  to  send  them 
to  Mdlle.  Lablanche".  I  hear  that  her  establishment 
is  most  rechercht." 

"  Mrs.  Willis  is  very  nice  herself,  and  so  are  most 
of  the  girls,"  said  Hester,  after  a  pause.  Then  they 
were  both  silent,  for  Hester  had  stooped  down  to 
examine  some  little  fronds  and  moss  which  grew 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree.  After  a  pause,  Hester  said : 

"  I  don't  think  Annie  is  the  favorite  she  was  with 
the  girls." 

"  Oh,  of  course  not ;  they  all,  in  their  heart  of 
hearts,  know  she  is  guilty.  Will  you  come  indoors, 
and  have  tea  with  me  in  my  drawing-room, 
Hester  ?" 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  135 

The  two  girls  walked  slowly  away,  and  presently 
Annie  let  herself  gently  out  of  her  hammock  and 
dropped  to  the  ground. 

She  had  heard  every  word  ;  she  had  not  revealed 
herself,  and  a  new  and  terrible — and,  truth  to  say, 
absolutely  foreign — sensation  from  her  true  nature 
now  filled  her  mind.  She  felt  that  she  almost  hated 
these  two  who  had  spoken  so  cruelly,  so  unjustly 
of  her.  She  began  to  trace  her  misfortunes  and 
her  unhappiness  to  the  date  of  Hester's  entrance 
into  the  school.  Even  more  than  Dora  Russell  did 
she  dislike  Hester  ;  she  made  up  her  mind  to  re- 
venge herself  on  both  these  girls.  Her  heart  was 
very,  very  sore ;  she  missed  the  old  words,  the 
old  love,  the  old  brightness,  the  old  popularity ; 
she  missed  the  mother-tones  in  Mrs.  Willis' 
voice — her  heart  cried  out  for  them,  at  night  she 
often  wept  for  them.  She  became  more  and 
more  sure  that  she  owed  all  her  misfortunes  to 
Hester,  and  in  a  smaller  degree  to  Dora.  Dora  be- 
lieved that  she  had  deliberately  insulted  her,  and  in- 
jured her  composition,  when  she  knew  herself  that 
she  was  quite  innocent  of  even  harboring  such  a 
thought,  far  less  carrying  it  into  effect.  Well,  now, 
she  would  really  do  something  to  injure  both  these 
girls,  and  perhaps  the  carrying  out  of  her  revenge 
would  satisfy  her  sore  heart. 


136  A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

CUP    AND    BALL. 

JUST  toward  the  end  of  the  Easter  holidays,  Hester 
Thornton  was  thrown  into  a  great  tumult  of  excite- 
ment, of  wonder,  of  half  regret  and  half  joy,  by  a 
letter  which  she  received  from  her  father.  In  this 

• 

letter  he  informed  her  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind 
to  break  up  his  establishment  for  several  years,  to 
go  abroad,  and  to  leave  Hester  altogether  under 
Mrs.  Willis'  care. 

When  Hester  had  read  so  far,  she  flung  her  letter 
on  the  table,  put  her  head  into  her  hands,  and  burst 
into  tears. 

"  Oh,  how  cruel  of  father  !"  she  excaimed  ;  "how 
am  I  to  live  without  ever  going  home — how  am  I  to 
endure  life  without  seeing  my  little  Nan  ?" 

Hester  cried  bitterly ;  the  strongest  love  of  her 
nature  was  now  given  to  this  pretty  and  sweet  little 
sister,  and  dismal  pictures  rose  rapidly  before  her 
of  Nan  growing  up  without  in  the  least  remember- 
ing her — perhaps,  still  worse,  of  Nan  being  unkindly 
treated  and  neglected  by  strangers.  After  a  long 
pause,  she  raised  her  head,  wiped  her  eyes,  and  re- 
sumed her  letter.  Now,  indeed,  she  started  with 
astonishment,  and  gave  an  exclamation  of  delight — 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  13? 

Sir  John  Thornton  had  arranged  that  Mrs.  Willis 
was  also  to  receive  little  Nan,  although  she  was 
younger  than  any  other  child  present  in  the  school. 
Hester  scarcely  waited  to  finish  her  letter.  She 
•crammed  it  into  her  pocket,  rushed  up  to  Susan 
Drummond,  and  astonished  that  placid  young  lady 
by  suddenly  kissing  her. 

"  Nan  is  coming,  Susy  !"  she  exclaimed  ;  "  dear, 
'darling,  lovely  little  Nan  is  coming — oh,  I  am  so 
happy  !" 

She  was  far  too  impatient  to  explain  matters  to 
stolid  Susan,  and  danced  down  stairs,  her  eyes  spark- 
ling and  smiles  on  her  lips.  It  was  nothing  to  her 
now  how  long  she  stayed  at  school — her  heart's 
treasure  would  be  with  her  there,  and  she  could  not 
but  feel  happy. 

After  breakfast  Mrs.  Willis  sent  for  her,  and  told 
her  what  arrangements  were  being  made ;  she  said 
that  she  was  going  to  remove  Susan  Drummond  out 
of  Hester's  bedroom,  in  order  that  Hester  might  en- 
joy her  little  sister's  company  at  night.  She  spoke 
very  gently,  and  entered  with  full  sympathy  into  the 
girl's  delight  over  the  little  motherless  sister,  and 
Hester  felt  more  drawn  to  her  governess  than  she 
had  ever  been. 

Nan  was  to  arrive  at  Lavender  House  on  the  fol- 
lowing evening,  and  for  the  first  week  her  nurse 
was  to  remain  with  her  until  she  got  accustomed  to 
her  new  life. 

The  morning  of  the  day  of  Nan's  arrival  was  also 
the  last  of  the  Easter  holidays,  and  Hester,  awaken- 


138  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

ing  earlier  than  her  wont,  lay  in  bed,  and  planned 
what  she  would  do  to  welcome  the  little  one. 

The  idea  of  having  Nan  with  her  continually  had 
softened  Hester.  She  was  not  unhappy  in  her 
school-life — indeed,  there  was  much  in  its  monoto- 
nous, busy,  and  healthy  occupation  to  stimulate  and 
rouse  the  good  in  her.  Her  intellect  was  being  vig- 
orously exercised,  and,  by  contact  with  her  school- 
fellows, her  character  was  being  molded;  but  the 
perfect  harmony  and  brightness  of  the  school  had 
been  much  interrupted  since  Hester's  arrival ;  her 
dislike  to  Annie  Forest  had  been  unfortunate  in  more 
ways  than  one,  and  that  dislike,  which  was  increas- 
ing each  day,  was  hardening  Hester's  heart. 

But  it  was  not  hard  this  morning — all  that  was 
sweetest,  and  softest,  and  best  in  her  had  come  to 
the  surface — the  little  sister,  whom  her  mother  had 
left  in  her  charge,  was  now  to  be  her  daily  and  hourly 
companion.  For  Nan's  sake,  then,  she  must  be  very 
good ;  her  deeds  must  be  gentle  and  kind,  and  her 
thoughts  charitable.  Hester  had  an  instinctive  feel- 
ing that  baby  eyes  saw  deep  below  the  surface; 
Hester  felt  if  Nan  were  to  lose  even  a  shadow  of 
her  faith  in  her  she  could  almost  die  of  shame. 

Hester  had  been  very  proud  of  Dora  Russell's 
friendship.  Never  before  had  it  been  known  in  the 
school  that  a  first-class  girl  took  a  third  into  such 
close  companionship,  and  Hester's  little  head  had 
been  slightly  turned  by  the  fact.  Her  better  judg- 
ment and  her  better  nature  had  been  rather  blinded 
by  the  fascinations  of  this  tall,  graceful;  satirical 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  139 

Dora.  She  had  been  weak  enough  to  agree  with 
Dora  with  her  lips  when  in  her  heart  of  hearts 
she  knew  she  was  all  wrong.  By  nature  Hester 
was  an  honorable  girl,  with  many  fine  traits  :'n  her 
character — by  nature  Dora  was  small  and  mean  and 
poor  of  soul. 

This  morning  Hester  ran  up  to  her  favorite. 

"  Little  Nan  is  coming  to-night,"  she  said. 

Dora  was  talking  at  the  moment  to  Miss  Mait- 
land,  another  first-class  girl,  and  the  two  stared 
rather  superciliously  at  Hester,  and,  after  a  pause, 
Dora  said  in  her  finest  drawl : 

"Who  is  little  Nan?" 

It  was  Hester's  turn  to  stare,  for  she  had  often 
spoken  of  Nan  to  this  beloved  friend,  who  had 
listened  to  her  narrative  and  had  appeared  to  sym- 
pathize. 

"  My  little  sister,  of  course,"  she  exclaimed.  "  I 
have  often  talked  to  you  about  her,  Dora.  Are  you 
not  glad  she  is  coming?" 

"  No,  my  dear  child,  I  can't  say  that  I  am.  If 
you  wish  to  retain  my  friendship,  Hester,  you  must 
be  careful  to  keep  the  little  mite  away  from  me  ;  I 
can't  bear  small  children." 

Hester  walked  away  with  her  heart  swelling,  and. 
she  fancied  she  heard  the  two  elder  girls  laughing  as 
she  left  the  play-room. 

Many  other  girls,  however,  in  the  school  thor- 
oughly sympathized  with  Hester,  and  among  them 
no  one  was  more  delighted  than  Susan  Drummond. 

"I  am  awfully  good-natured  not  to  be  as  cross 


140  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

as  two  sticks,  Hetty,"  she  exclaimed,  "  for  I  am  be- 
ing turned  out  of  my  comfortable  room  ;  and  whose 
room  do  you  suppose  I  am  now  to  share  ?  why,  that 
little  imp  Annie  Forest's."  But  Hester  felt  chari- 
table, even  toward  Annie,  on  this  happy  day. 

In  the  evening  little  Nan  arrived.  She  was  a 
very  pretty,  dimpled,  brown-eyed  creature,  of  just 
three  years  of  age.  She  had  all  the  imperious 
ways  of  a  spoilt  baby,  and,  evidently,  fear  wasxa 
word  not  to  be  found  in  her  vocabulary.  She  clung 
to  Hester,  but  smiled  and  nodded  to  the  other  girls, 
who  made  advances  to  her,  and  petted  her,  and 
thought  her  a  very  charming  baby.  Beside  Nan, 
all  the  other  little  girls  in  the  school  looked  old. 
She  was  quite  two  years  the  youngest,  and  it  was 
soon  very  evident  that  she  would  establish  that 
most  imperious  of  all  reigns — a  baby  reign — in  the 
school. 

H  ter  fondled  her  and  talked  to  her,  and  the 
littU  thing  sat  on  her  knee  and  stroked  her  face. 

"Me  like 'oo,  Hetty,"  she  said  several  times,  and 
she  added  many  other  endearing  and  pretty  words 
which  caused  Hester's  heart  to  swell  with  delight. 

In  the  midst  of  their  happy  little  talk  together 
Annie  Forest,  in  her  usual  careless  fashion,  entered 
the  play-room.  She  alone,  of  all  the  girls,  had 
taken  no  notice  of  the  new  plaything.  She  walked 
to  her  usual  corner,  sat  down  on  the  floor,  and 
began  to  play  cup  and  bail  for  the  benefit  of  two  or 
three  of  the  smallest  children.  Hester  did  not 
regard  her  in  the  least;  she  sat  with  Nan  on  her 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  14} 

knee,  stroking  back  her  sunny  curls,  and  remarking 
on  her  various  charms  to  several  of  the  girls  who 
sat  round  her 

"  See,  how  pretty  that  dimple  in  her  chin  is,"  she 
said,  <l  and  oh,  my  pet,  your  eyes  look  wiser,  and 
bigger,  and  saucier  than  ever.  Look  at  me,  Nan  ; 
look  at  your  own  Hetty  " 

Nan's  attention,  however,  was  diverted  by  the 
gaily-painted  cup  and  ball  which  Annie  was  using 
with  her  wonted  dexterity. 

"  Dat  a  pitty  toy,"  she  said,  giving  one  quick  and 
rather  seldom  glance  at  her  sister,  and  again  fixing 
her  admiring  gaze  on  the  cup  and  ball. 

Annie  Forest  had  heard  the  words,  and  she 
darted  a  sudden,  laughing  look  at  the  little  one. 
Annie's  power  over  children  was  well  known.  Nan 
began  to  wriggle  on  Hester's  knee. 

"  Dat  a  pitty  lady,"  she  said  again,  "  and  that  a 
pitty,  tibby  [little]  toy  ;  Nan  go  see.' 

In  an  instant,  before  Hester  could  prevent  her, 
she  had  trotted  across  the  room,  and  was  kneeling 
with  the  other  children  and  shouting  with  delight 
over  Annie's  play. 

"  She'll  get  her,  you'll  see,  Hester,"  said  one  of 
the  girls  maliciously ;  "  she'll  soon  be  much  fonder 
of  Annie  Forest  than  of  you.  Annie  wins  the 
heart  of  every  little  child  in  the  school." 

"  She  won't  win  my  Nan's  from  me,"  said  Hester 
in  a  confident  tone ;  but  in  spite  of  her  words  a 
great  pang  of  jealousy  had  gone  through  her.  She 
rose  to  her  seat  and  followed  her  little  sister. 


142  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Nan,  you  are  sleepy,  you  must  go  to  bed." 

"  No,  no,  Hetty ;  me  not  s'eepy,  me  kite  awake  ; 
go  'way,  Hetty,  Nan  want  to  see  the  pitty  tibby 
toy." 

Annie  raised  her  eyes  to  Hester's.  She  did  not 
really  want  to  be  unkind,  and  at  that  moment  it  had 
certainly  never  entered  into  her  head  to  steal. 
Hester's  treasure  from  her,  but  she  could  not  help  a 
look  of  suppressed  delight  and  triumph  filling  her 
eyes. 

Hester  could  scarcely  bear  the  look  ;  she  stooped 
down,  and  taking  one  of  Nan's  little  dimpled  hands 
tried  to  drag  her  away. 

Instantly  Annie  threw  the  cup  and  ball  on  the 
floor. 

"  The  play  is  all  over  to-night,  little  darling,"  she 
said  ;  "  give  Annie  Forest  one  kiss,  and  run  to  bed 
with  sister  Hester." 

Nan,  who  had  been  puckering  up  her  face  to  cry, 
smiled  instantly  ;  then  she  scrambled  to  her  feet,  and 
flung  her  little  fat  arms  round  Annie's  neck. 

"  Dat  a  vedy  pitty  p'ay,"  she  said  in  a  patronizing 
tone,  "  and  me  like  'oo,  me  do." 

Then  she  gave  her  hand  willingly  to  Hester,  and 
trotted  out  of  the  play-room  by  her  side. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  143 


CHAPTER  XX. 

IN     THE    SOUTH    PARLOR. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  Easter  the  real  excitement  of 
the  school-year  began.  All  the  girls  who  had  am- 
bition, who  had  industry,  and  who  had  a  desire  to 
please  distant  fathers,  mothers,  or  guardians,  worked 
hard  for  that  great  day  at  midsummer  when  Mrs. 
Willis  distributed  her  valuable  prizes. 

From  the  moment  of  Hester's  entrance  into  the 
school  she  had  heard  this  day  spoken  of.  It  was, 
without  doubt,  the  greatest  day  of  the  year  at  Lav- 
ender House.  Smaller  prizes  were  given  at  Christ- 
mas, but  the  great  honors  were  always  reserved  for 
this  long  sunshiny  June  day,  when  Mrs.  Willis  her- 
self presented  her  marks  of  approbation  to  her  suc- 
cessful pupils. 

The  girls  who  had  lived  in  the  school  for  two  or 
three  years  gave  Hester  vivid  descriptions  of  the  ex- 
citements, the  pleasures,  the  delights  of  this  day  of 
days.  In  the  first  place  it  was  the  first  of  the  holi- 
days, in  the  second  it  was  spent  almost  from  morning 
to  night  in  the  open  air — for  a  great  tent  was  erected 
on  the  lawn  ;  and  visitors  thronged  to  Lavender 
House,  and  fathers  and  mothers,  and  aunts  and 
uncles,  arrived  from  a  distance  to  witness  the 


144  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

triumphs  of  the  favored  children  who  had  won  the 
prizes.  The  giving  away  of  the  prizes  was,  of  course, 
the  event  of  the  day ;  but  there  were  many  other 
minor  joys.  Always  in  the  evenings  there  was  some 
special  entertainment.  These  entertainments  dif- 
fered from  year  to  year,  Mrs.  Willis  allowing  the 
girls  to  choose  them  for  themselves,  and  only  making 
one  proviso,  that  they  must  take  all  the  trouble,  and 
all  the  pains — in  short,  that  they  themselves  must 
be  the  entertainers.  One  year  they  had  tableaux 
vivants  ;  another  a  fancy  ball,  every  pretty  dress  of 
which  had  been  designed  by  themselves,  and  many 
even  made  by  their  own  industrious  little  fingers. 
Mrs.  Willis  delighted  in  the  interest  and  occupation 
that  this  yearly  entertainment  gave  to  her  pupils, 
and  she  not  only  encouraged  them  in  their  efforts  to 
produce  something  very  unique  and  charming,  but 
took  care  that  they  should  have  sufficient  time  to 
work  up  their  ideas  properly.  Always  after  Easter 
she  gave  the  girls  of  the  three  first  classes  two  even- 
ings absolutely  to  themselves  ;  and  these  they  spent 
in  a  pretty  room  called  the  south  parlor,  which  be- 
longed to  Mrs.  Willis'  part  of  the  house,  and  was 
rarely  used,  except  for  these  great  preparations. 

Hester,  therefore,  after  Easter  found  her  days 
very  full  indeed  Every  spare  moment  she  devoted 
to  little  Nan,  but  she  was  quite  determined  to  win  a 
substantial  prize,  and  she  was  also  deeply  interested 
in  various  schemes  proposed  in  the  south  parlor. 

With  regard  to  prizes,  Mrs.  Willis  also  went  on  a 
plan  of  her  own.  Each  girl  was  expected  to  come 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  146 

up  to  a  certain  standard  of  excellence  in  all  her 
studies,  and  if  she  fell  very  much  below  this  standard 
she  was  not  allowed  to  try  for  any  prize  ;  if  she  came 
up  to  it,  she  could  select  one  subject,  but  only  one, 
for  competition. 

On  the  Monday  after  the  Easter  holidays  the 
special  subjects  for  the  midsummer  prizes  were 
given  out,  and  the  .girls  were  expected  to  send  in 
their  answers  as  to  the  special  prize  they  meant  to 
compete  for  by  the  following  Friday. 

When  this  day  arrived  Hester  Thornton  and  Dora 
Russell  both  discovered  that  they  had  made  the 
same  choice — they  were  going  to  try  for  the  English 
composition  prize.  This  subject  always  obtained 
one  of  the  most  costly  prizes,  and  several  of  the 
girls  shook  their  heads  over  Hester's  choice. 

"  You  are  very  silly  to  try  for  that,  Hetty,"  they 
exclaimed,  "for  Mrs.  Willis  has  such  queer  ideas 
with  regard  to  English  composition.  Of  course,  we 
go  in  for  it  in  a  general  way,  and  learn  the  rules  of 
grammar  and  punctuation,  and  so  forth,  but  Mrs. 
Willis  says  that  school-girls'  themes  are"  so  bad 
and  affected,  as  a  rule,  and  she  says  she  does  not 
think  any  one  will  go  in  for  her  pet  prize  who  has 
not  natural  ability.  In  consequence,  she  gives  only 
one  prize  for  composition  between  the  three  first 
classes.  You  had  better  change  your  mind,  Hetty, 
before  it  is  too  late,  for  much  older  girls  will  com- 
pete with  you,  and  there  are  several  who  are  going 
to  try." 

Hester,  however,  only    smiled,  and  assured  her 


146  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

eager  friend  that  she  would  stick  to  her  pet  subject, 
and  try  to  do  the  best  she  could. 

On  the  morning  when  the  girls  signified  their 
choice  of  subject,  Mrs.  Willis  came  into  the  school- 
room and  made  one  of  her  little  yearly  speeches 
with  regard  to  the  right  spirit  in  which  her  girls 
should  try  for  these  honors.  The  few  and  well- 
chosen  words  of  the  head  mistress  generally  roused 
those  girls  who  loved  her  best  to  a  fever  of  enthusi- 
asm, and  even  Hester,  who"  was  comparatively  a 
newcomer,  felt  a  great  wish,  as  she  listened  to  that 
clear  and  vibrating  voice  and  watched  the  many 
expressions  which  passed  over  the  noble  face,  that 
she  might  find  something  beyond  the  mere  earthly 
honor  and  glory  of  success  in  this  coming  trial. 
Having  finished  her  little  speech,  Mrs.  Willis  made 
several  remarks  with  regard  to  the  choice  of  sub- 
jects. She  spoke  of  the  English  composition  prize 
last,  and  here  she  heightened  the  interest  and  ex- 
citement which  always  hung  around  this  special 
prize.  Contrary  to  her  usual  rule,  she  would  this 
year  give  no  subject  for  an  English  theme.  Each 
girl  might  choose  what  pleased  her  best. 

On  hearing  these  words  Annie  Forest,  who  had 
been  sitting  by  her  desk  looking  rather  dull  and 
dejected,  suddenly  sprang  to  her  feet,  her  face 
aglow,  her  eyes  sparkling,  and  began  whispering 
vigorously  to  Miss  Good. 

Miss  Good  nodded,  and,  going  up  to  Mrs.  Willis, 
said  aloud  that  Annie  had  changed  her  mind,  and 
that  from  not  wishing  to  try  for  any  of  the  prizes, 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  147 

she  now  intended  to  compete  for  the  English  com- 
position. 

Mrs.  Willis  looked  a  little  surprised,  but  without 
any  comment  she  immediately  entered  Annie's  name 
in  the  list  of  competitors,  and  Annie  sat  down  again, 
not  even  glancing"  at  her  astonished  schoolfellows, 
who  could  not  conceal  their  amazement,  for  she  had 
never  hitherto  shown  the  slightest  desire  to  excel  in 
this  department. 

On  the  evening  of  this  Friday  the  girls  of  the 
three  first  classes  assembled  for  the  first  time  in  the 
south  parlor.  Hitherto,  these  meetings  had  been 
carried  on  in  a  systematic  and  business-like  fashion. 
It  was  impossible  for  all  the  girls  who  belonged  to 
these  three  large  classes  to  assemble  on  each 
occasion.  Careful  selections,  therefore,  were,  as  a 
rule,  made  from  their  numbers.  These  girls  formed 
a  committee  to  superintend  and  carry  on  the  real 
preparations  for  the  coming  treat,  and  the  others 
only  met  when  specially  summoned  by  the  com- 
mittee to  appear. 

As  usual  now  the  three  classes  found  themselves 
in  the  south  parlor — as  usual  they  chattered  volu- 
bly, and  started  schemes,  to  reject  them  again  with 
peals  of  laughter.  Many  ideas  were  put  forward, 
to  be  cast  aside  as  utterly  worthless.  No  one 
seemed  to  have  any  very  brilliant  thought,  and  as 
the  first  step  on  these  occasions  was  to  select  what 
the  entertainment  should  be,  proceedings  seemed  to 
«;ntDe  to  a  standstill. 

The  fact  was  the  most  daring  originator,  the  one 


148  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

whose  ideas  were  always  flavored  with  a  spice  of 
novelty,  was  absolutely  silent. 

Cecil  Temple,  who  had  taken  a  seat  near  Annie, 
suddenly  bent  forward  and  spoke  to  her  aloud. 

"  We  have  all  s.aid  what  we  would  like,  and  we 
none  of  us  appear  to  have  thought  of  anything  at 
all  worth  having,"  she  said ;  "  but  you  have  not 
spoken  at  all,  Annie.  Give  us  an  idea,  dear — you 
know  you  originated  the  fancy  ball  last  year." 

Thus  publicly  appealed  to,  Annie  raised  her  full 
brown  eyes,  glanced  at  her  companions,  not  one  of 
whom,  with  the  exception  of  Cecil,  returned  her 
gaze  fully ;  then,  rising  to  her  feet,  she  spoke  in  a 
slightly  contemptuous  tone. 

"  These  preparations  seem  to  me  to  be  much  ado 
about  nothing ;  they  take  up  a  lot  of  our  time,  and 
the  results  aren't  worth  the  trouble — I  have  nothing 
particular  to  say.  Oh,  well,  yes,  if  you  like — let's 
have  blind  man's  buff  and  a  magic  lantern ; "  and 
then,  dropping  a  mock  courtesy  to  her  companions, 
she  dropped  out  of  the  south  parlor. 

"Insufferable  girl!"  said  Dora  Russell;  "I 
wonder  you  try  to  draw  her  out,  Cecil.  You  know 
perfectly  that  we  none  of  us  care  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  her." 

"  I  know  perfectly  that  you  are  all  doing  your 
best  to  make  her  life  miserable, "said  Cecil,  suddenly 
and  boldly.  "  No  one  in  this  school  has  obeyed 
Mrs.  Willis'  command  to  treat  Annie  as  innocent — 
you  are  practically  sending  her  to  Coventry,  and  I 
think  it  is  unjust  and  unfair.  You  don't  know, 


A    WO*.LD.  OF  GIRLS.  149 

girls,  that  you  are  ruining  poor  Annie's  happi- 
ness." 

"  Oh,  dear !  she  doesn't  seem  at  all  dull,"  said 
Miss  West,  a  second-class  girl.  "  I  do  think  she's  a 
hardened  little  wretch." 

"Little  you  know  about  her,"  said  Cecil,  the 
color  fading  out  of  her  pale  face.  Then  after  a 
pause,  she  added:  "The  injustice  of  the  whole  thing 
is  that  in  this  treatment  of  Annie  you  break  the 
spirit  of  Mrs.  Willis'  command — you,  none  of  you, 
certainly  tell  her  that  she  is  guilty,  but  you  treat 
her  as  such." 

Here  Hester  Thornton  said  a  daring  thing. 

"  I  don't  believe  Mrs.  Willis  in  her  heart  of  hearts 
considers  Annie  guiltless." 

These  words  of  Hester's  were  laughed  at  by  most 
of  the  girls,  but  Dora  Russell  gave  her  an  approv- 
ing nod,  and  Cecil,  looking  paler  than  ever,  dropped 
suddenly  into  her  seat,  and  no  longer  tried  to  defend 
her  absent  friend. 

"  At  any  rate,"  said  Miss  Conway,  who  as  the 
head  girl  of  the  whole  school  was  always  listened  to 
with  great  respect,  "it  is  unfortunate  for  the  suc- 
cess of  our  entertainment  that  there  should  be  all 
this  discussion  and  bad  feeling  with  regard  to  Miss 
Forest.  For  my  own  part,  I  cannot  make  out  why 
the  poor  little  creature  should  be  hunted  down,  or 
what  affair  it  is  of  ours  whether  she  is  innocent  or 
not.  If  Mr.  Everard  and  Mrs.  Willis  say  she  is  in- 
nocent, is  not  that  enough  ?  The  fact  of  her  guilt 
or  innocence  can't  hurt  us  one  way  or  another.  It 


150  ^    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

is  a  great  pity,  however,  for  our  own  sakes,  that  we 
should  be  out  with  her  now,  for,  whatever  her 
faults,  she  is  the  only  one  of  us  who  is  ever  gifted 
with  an  original  thought.  But,  as  we  can't  have 
her,  let  us  set  to  work  without  her — we  really  can't 
waste  the  whole  evening  over  this  sort  of  talk." 

Discussions  as  to  the  coming  pleasure  were  now 
again  resumed  with  vigor,  and  after  a  great  deal  of 
animated  arguing  it  was  resolved  that  two  short 
plays  should  be  acted ;  that  a  committee  should  be 
immediately  formed,  who  should  select  the  plays, 
and  apportion  their  various  parts  to  the  different 
actors. 

The  committee  selected  included  Miss  Russell, 
Miss  Conway,  Hester  Thornton,  Cecil  Temple,  and 
two  other  girls  of  the  second  class.  The  conference 
then  broke  up,  but  there  was  a  certain  sense  of 
flatness  over  everything,  and  Cecil  was  not  the  only 
girl  who  sighed  for  the  merry  meetings  of  last  year 
— when  Annie  had  been  the  life  and  soul  of  all  the 
proceedings,  and  when  one  brilliant  idea  after  an- 
other with  regard  to  the  costumes  for  the  fancy  ball 
had  dropped  from  her  merry  tongue. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  151 


CHAPTER    XXI, 

STEALING    HEARTS. 

WHEN  Annie  ran  out  of  the  south  parlor  she 
found  herself  suddenly  face  to  face  with  Mrs.  Willis. 

"Well,  my  dear  child,"  said  the  head  mistress  in 
her  kindest  voice,  "  where  are  you  running  to  ?  But  I 
suppose  I  must  not  ask ;  you  are,  of  course,  one  of 
the  busy  and  secret  conclave  in  the  south  parlor  ?" 

"No.  I  have  left  them,"  said  Annie,  bending1  her 
head,  and  after  her  usual  habit  when  agitated,  shak- 
ing her  hair  about  her  face. 

"  Left  them  ?"  repeated  Mrs.  Willis,  "  you  mean, 
dear,  that  they  have  sent  you  for  some  message." 

"  No.  I  am  not  one  of  them.  May  I  go  into  the 
garden,  Mrs.  Willis  ?" 

"  Certainly,  my  dear." 

Annie  did  not  even  glance  at  her  governess. 
She  pushed  aside  the  baize  door,  and  found  herself 
in  the  great  stone  hall  which  led  to  the  play-room 
and  schoolroom.  Her  garden  hat  hung  on  a  peg  in 
the  hall,  and  she  tossed  it  off  its  place,  and  holding 
it  in  her  hand  ran  toward  the  side  door  which 
opened  directly  into  the  garden.  She  had  a  wild 
wish  to  get  to  the  shelter  of  the  forsaken  hammock 
and  there  cry  out  her  whole  heart.  The  moment 


152  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

she  got  into  the  open  air,  however,  she  was  met  by 
a  whole  troop  of  the  little  children,  who  were  com- 
ing in  after  their  usual  short  exercise  before  going 
to  bed.  Miss  Danesbury  was  with  them,  and  when 
Annie  ran  out  by  the  open  door,  she  entered  hold- 
ing two  little  ones  by  the  hands.  Last  in  this  group 
toddled  Hester's  little  sister  Nan.  The  moment  she 
saw  Annie,  her  little  face  broke  into  smiles,  she 
held  out  two  hands  eagerly,  and  fled  to  the  young 
girl's  side. 

"Where  dat  pitty  toy?"  she  said,  raising  her 
round  face  to  Annie's ;  "  some  one  did  buy  dat  toy, 
and  it's  vedy  pitty,  and  me  wants  it — where's  dat 
toy?" 

Annie  stooped  down,  and  spoke  suddenly  and  im- 
pulsively to  the  little  child. 

"  You  shall  have  the  toy  for  your  very  own,  Nan, 
if  you  will  do  something  for  me  ?" 

Nan's  baby  eyes  looked  straight  into  Annie's. 

"  Me  will,"  she  said  emphatically  ;  "  me  want  dat 
toy." 

"  Put  your  arms  round  me,  little  darling,  and  give 
me  a  great  tight  hug." 

This  request  was  great  fun  to  Nan,  who  squeezed 
her  little  arms  round  Annie's  neck,  and  pressed  her 
dimpled  cheek  to  her  lips. 

"  Dere,"  she  said  triumphantly,  "  will  dat  do  ?" 

"Yes,  you  little  treasure,  and  you'll  try  to  love 
me,- won't  you?" 

"  Me  do,"  said  Nan,  in  a  solemn  voice  ;  but  then 
Miss  Danesbury  called  her,  and  she  ran  into  the  house. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  153 

As  Nan  trotted  into  the  house  she  put  up  her 
dimpled  hand  to  wipe  something  from  her  round 
cheek — it  was  a  tear  which  Annie  Forest  had  left 
there. 

Annie  herself,  when  all  the  little  ones  had  dis- 
appeared, walked  slowly  and  sadly  down  toward 
the  shady  walk.  The  sun  had  just  set,  and  though 
it  was  now  nearly  May,  and  the  evenings  long,  the 
wind  was  sufficiently  cold  to  cause  Annie  to  shiver 
in  her  thin  house  frock.  At  all  times  utterly  fear- 
less with  regard  to  her  health,  she  gave  it  no  thought 
now,  but  entering  the  walk  where  she  knew  she 
should  not  be  disturbed,  she  looked  up  at  the  ham- 
mock, andl  wondered  whether  she  should  climb  into 
it.  She  decided,  however,  not  to  do  so — the  great 
and  terrible  weight  of  tears  which  had  pressed  close 
to  her  heart  were  relieved  by  Nan's  embrace  ;  she 
no  longer  cared  to  cry  until  she  could  cry  no  longer 
— the  worst  of  her  pain  had  been  soothed  by  the 
sweet  baby  graciousness  of  the  little  one. 

Then  there  darted  into  poor  Annie's  sore  heart 
and  perplexed  brain  that  dangerous  thought  and 
temptation  which  was  to  work  so  much  future  pain 
and  trouble.  She  already  loved  little  Nan,  and  Nan, 
as  most  children  did,  had  taken  a  fancy  to  her. 
Annie  stood  still,  and  clasped  her  hands  as  the  dark 
idea  came  to  her  to  steal  the  heart  of  little  Nan  from 
Hester,  and  so  revenge  herself  on  her.  By  doing 
this  she  would  touch  Hester  in  her  most  vulnerable 
point — she  would  take  from  her  what  she  valued 
most.  The  temptation  came  swiftly,  and  Annie 


154  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

listened  to  it,  and  thought  how  easy  it  would  be  to 
carry  it  into  effect.  She  knew  well  that  no  little 
child  could  resist  her  when  she  chose  to  exercise  her 
charms — it  would  be  easy,  easy  work  to  make  that 
,part  of  Nan  which  was  most  precious  all  her  own. 
Annie  became  fascinated  by  the  idea ;  how  com- 
pletely then  she  would  have  revenged  all  her  wrongs 
on  Hester  !  Some  day  Hester  would  bitterly  repent 
of  her  unjust  prejudice  toward  her  ;  some  day  Hes- 
ter would  come  to  her,  and  beg  of  her  in  agony  to 
give  her  back  her  darling's  love  ;  ah  !  when  that 
day  came  it  would  be  her  turn  to  triumph. 

She  felt  more  than  satisfied  as  the  temptation 
grew  upon  her  ;  she  shut  otit  persistently  from  her 
view  all  the  other  side  of  the  picture  ;  she  would  not 
let  herself  think  that  the  work  she  was  about  to 
undertake  was  cruel  and  mean.  Hester  had  been 
more  than  unjust,  and  she  was  going  to  punish  her. 

Annie  paced  faster  and  faster  up  and  down  the 
shady  walk,  and  whenever  her  resolution  wavered, 
the  memory  of  Hester's  face  as  she  had  seen  it  the 
same  night  in  the  south  parlor  came  visibly  back  and 
strengthened  it.  Yes,  her  turn  had  come  at  last. 
Hester  had  contrived  since  her  entrance  into  the 
school  to  make  Annie's  life  thoroughly  miserable. 
Well,  never  mind,  it  was  Annie's  turn  now  to  make 
her  wretched. 


WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  155 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

IN   BURN   CASTLE    WOOD. 

IN  CONCENTRATING  her  thoughts  of  revenge  on 
Hester,  Annie  ceased  to  trouble  her  head  about  Dora 
Russell.  She  considered  Hester  a  crueler  enemy  than 
Dora.  Hester  belonged  to  her  own  set,  worked  in 
her  own  class,  and  would  naturally,  had  things  not 
turned  out  so  unjustly,  so  unfairly,  have  been  her 
friend,  and  not  her  enemy.  Dora  had  nothing  to 
say  to  Annie,  and  before  Hester's  advent  into  the 
school  had  scarcely  noticed  her  existence.  Annie 
therefore  concentrated  all  her  powers  on  punishing 
Hester.  This  gave  her  an  aim  and  an  occupation, 
and  at  first  she  felt  that  her  revenge  might  give  her 
real  pleasure. 

Susan  Drummond  now  shared  Annie's  bed-room, 
and  Annie  was  rather  startled  one  evening  to  hear 
this  phlegmatic  young  person  burst  out  into  a  strong 
tirade  against  Hester  and  Dora.  Dora  ha,d  man- 
aged, for  some  inexplicable  reason,  to  offend  Susan, 
and  Susan  now  looked  to  Annie  for  sympathy,  and 
boldly  suggested  that  they  should  get  up  what  she 
was  pleased  to  called  "  a  lark  "  between  them  for 
the  punishment  of  this  very  dignified  young  lady. 

Annie  had  never  liked  Susan,  and  she  now  stared 
at  her,  and  said,  in  her  quick  way  : 


156  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  You  won't  catch  me  helping  you  in  any  of  your 
larks.  I've  had  trouble  enough  on  that  score  as  it 
is." 

Susan  gazed  at  her  stupidly,  and  a  dull  red  spread 
over  her  face. 

"  But  I  thought  you  hated  Dora  and  Hester,"  she 
said — "  I'm  sure  they  hate  you." 

Annie  was  silent. 

"You  do  hate  them,  don't  you?"  persisted  Miss 
Drummond. 

"It's  nothing  to  you  what  I  feel  toward  them, 
Susy,"  said  Annie.  "Please  don't  disturb  me  with 
any  more  of  your  chatter  ;  I  am  very  sleepy,  and 
you  are  keeping  me  awake." 

Thus  silenced,  Susan  had  to  content  herself  by 
turning  on  her  back,  and  going  into  the  land  of 
dreams ;  but  she  was  evidently  a  good  deal  surprised 
and  disappointed,  and  began  to  entertain  a  certain 
respect,  and  even  fear,  of  Annie  which  had  been. 
hitherto  unknown  to  her. 

Meanwhile  Hester  was  very  busy,  very  happy, 
and  more  satisfied — brighter  and  better  employed 
than  she  had  ever  been  in  her  life  before.  Nan's 
love  satisfied  the  affectionate  side  of  her  nature,  and 
all  her  intellect  was  strained  to  the  utmost  to  win 
honors  in  the  coming  struggle. 

She  had  stuck  firmly  to  her  resolve  to  work  for 
the  English  composition  prize,  and  she  firmly  made 
up  her  own  mind  to  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  win 
it.  What  affection  she  possessed  for  Miss  Russell 
was  not  at  all  of  a  character  to  prevent  her  from 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  157 

thoroughly  enjoying  taking  the  prize  out  of  her 
hands.  Her  love  for  Dora  had  been  fed  by  vanity, 
and  was  not  at  all  of  a  deep  or  noble  character. 
She  was  some  time  carefully  choosing  the  subject 
of  her  theme,  and  at  last  she  resolved  to  write  a 
brief  historical  description  of  the  last  days  of  Marie- 
Antoinette.  To  write  properly  on  this  subject  she 
had  to  read  up  a  great  deal,  and  had  to  find  refer- 
ences in  books  which  were  not  usually  allowed  as 
school-room  property.  Mrs.  Willis,  however,  al- 
ways allowed  the  girls  who  were  working  for  the 
English  composition  prize  to  have  access  to  her 
rather  extensive  library,  and  here  Hester  was  often 
to  be  found  during  play-hours.  Two  evenings  in. 
the  week  were  also  taken  up  in  preparation  for  the 
coming  plays,  and  as  Hester  was  to  take  rather  an 
important  part  in  one,  and  a  small  character  in  an- 
other, she  was  obliged  to  devote  herself  to  getting 
up  her  parts  during  the  weekly  half -holidays.  Thus 
every  moment  was  busy,  and,  except  at  night,  she 
had  little  time  to  devote  herself  to  Nan. 

Nan  slept  in  a  pretty  crib  in  Hester's  room,  and 
each  evening  the  young  girl  knelt  down  by  her 
sister's  side,  and  gazed  at  her  with  love,  which  was 
almost  motherly,  swelling  in  her  breast. 

All  that  was  best  of  Hester  was  drawn  out  at 
these  moments  ;  something  greater  than  ambition — 
something  far  and  away  above  school  triumphs  and 
school  jealousies  spoke  then  in  her  heart  of  hearts. 
These  moments  found  her  capable  of  being  both 
sympathizing  and  forgiving ;  these  moments  fol- 


158  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

lowed  out  in  her  daily  life  might  have  made  Hestei 
almost  great.  Now  was  the  time,  with  her  eyes  full 
of  tears  and  her  lips  trembling  with  emotion,  for 
Annie  Forest  to  have  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  divine 
in  Hester;  the  hardness,  the  pride,  the  haughty 
spirit  were  all  laid  aside,  and  hers  was  the  true 
child-heart  as  she  knelt  by  the  sleeping  baby.  Hes- 
ter prayed  earnestly  at  these  moments,  and,  in 
truth,  Nan  did  better  for  her  than  any  sermon ; 
better  for  her  than  even  Mrs.  Willis*  best  influences. 
Nan  was  as  the  voice  of  God  to  her  sister. 

Hester,  in  her  very  busy  life,  had  no  time  to  no- 
tice, however,  a  very  slight  and  almost  impercepti- 
ble change  in  bright  little  Nan.  In  the  mornings 
she  was  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  pay  much  heed  to 
the  little  one's  chatter ;  in  the  afternoons  she  had 
scarcely  an  instant  to  devote  to  her,  and  when  she 
saw  her  playing  happily  with  the  other  children 
she  was  quite  content,  and  always  supposed  that 
when  a  spare  half -hour  did  come  in  her  busy  life, 
Nan  would  rush  to  her  with  the  old  ecstasy,  and 
give  her  the  old  devotion. 

One  day,  toward  the  end  of  a  very  fine  May,  the 
girls  were  all  to  go  for  a  picnic  to  some  woods 
about  four  miles  away.  They  had  looked  forward 
for  several  days  to  this  relaxation,  and  were  in  the 
highest  state  of  delight  and  the  wildest  spirits. 
After  an  early  dinner  they  were  to  drive  in  several 
large  wagonettes  to  the  place  of  rendezvous,  where 
they  were  to  be  regaled  with  gypsy-tea,  and  were 
to  have  a  few  hours  in  the  lovely  woods  of  Burn 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  159 

Castle,  one  of  the  show  places  of  the  neighborhood. 
Mrs.  Willis  had  invited  the  Misses  Bruce  to  accom- 
pany them,  and  they  were  all  to  leave  the  house 
punctually  at  two  o'clock.  The  weather  was  won- 
derfully fine  and  warm,  and  it  was  decided  that  all 
the  children,  even  Nan,  should  go. 

Perhaps  none  of  the  girls  looked  forward  to  this 
day's  pleasure  with  greater  joy  than  did  Hester; 
she  determined  to  make  it  a  real  holiday,  and  a  real 
time  of  relaxation.  She  would  forget  her  English 
theme ;  she  would  cease  to  worry  herself  about 
Marie  Antoinette  ;  she  would  cease  to  repeat  her 
part  in  the  coming  play ;  and  she  would  devote  her- 
self exclusively  and  determinately  to  Nan's  pleasure. 
She  pictured  the  little  one's  raptures  ;  she  heard  her 
gay  shouts  of  joy,  her  ceaseless  little  rippling  chat- 
ter, her  baby  glee,  and,  above  all  things,  her  intense 
happiness  at  being  with  her  own  Hetty  for  the 
greater  part  of  a  whole  day.  Hester  would  ride 
her  on  her  shoulder,  would  race  with  her ;  all  her 
usual  companions  would  be  as  nothing  to  her  on 
this  occasion,  she  would  give  herself  up  solely  to 
Nan. 

As  she  was  dressing  that  morning  she  said  a  word 
or  two  to  the  child  about  the  coming  treat. 

"  We'll  light  a  fire  in  the  wood,  Nan,  and  hang  a 
kettle  over  it,  and  make  tea — such  good  tea ;  won't 
it  be  nice  ?" 

Nan  clapped  her  hands.  "And  may  I  take  out 
my  little  ummabella  (umbrella),  case  it  might 
wain  ?"  she  asked  anxiously. 


160  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Hester  flew  to  her  and  kissed  her. 

"You  funny  darling!"  she  said.  "Oh,  we  shall 
have  such  a  day !  You'll  be  with  your  own  Hetty 
all  day  long — your  own  Hetty  ;  won't  you  be  glad  ?" 

"  Me  am,"  said  Nan ;  "  own  Hetty,  and  own 
Annie  ;  me  am  glad." 

Hester  scarcely  heard  the  last  words,  for  the 
prayer-gong  sounded,  and  she  had  to  fly  down 
stairs. 

At  dinner  time  the  girls  were  discussing  who 
would  go  with  each,  and  all  were  very  merry  and 
full  of  fun. 

"Miss  Danesbury  will  take  the  little  children," 
said  Miss  Good.  "  Mrs.  Willis  says  that  all  the 
little  ones  are  to  be  in  Miss  Danesbury's  charge." 

"Oh,  please,"  said  Hester,  suddenly,  "may  Nan 
come  with  me,  Miss  Good  ?  She'll  be  so  disap- 
pointed if  she  doesn't,  and  I'll  take  such  care  of 
her." 

Miss  Good  nodded  a  careless  acquiescence,  and 
Hester  proceeded  with  her  dinner,  feeling  thoroughly 
satisfied. 

Immediately  after  dinner  the  girls  flew  to  their 
rooms  to  prepare  for  their  expedition.  Hastily 
opening  a  drawer,  Hester  pulled  out  a  white  frock, 
white  pique*  pelisse,  and  washing  hat  for  Nan — she 
meant  her  darling  to  look  as  charming  as  possible. 

"  Oh,  dear,  Miss  Danesbury  should  have  brought 
her  here  by  now,"  she  said  to  herself  impatiently, 
and  then,  hearing  the  crunching  of  carriage  wheels 
on  the  drive,  she  flew  to  the  bell  and  rang  it. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  161 

In  a  few  moments  one  of  the  maids  appeared. 

"  Do  you  know  where  Miss  Nan  is,  Alice  ?  She 
is  to  go  to  Burn  Castle  with  me,  and  I  want  to 
dress  her,  for  it  is  nearly  time  to  go." 

Alice  looked  a  little  surprised. 

"  If  you  please,  miss,"  she  said,  "  I  think  Miss 
Nan  has  just  gone." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Alice?  Miss  Good  said 
especially  she  was  to  go  with  me." 

"  I  know  nothing  about  that,  miss  ;  I  only  know 
that  I  saw  Miss  Forest  carrying  her  down  stairs  in 
her  arms  about  three  minutes  ago,  and  they  went  off 
in  the  wagonette  with  all  the  other  little  children 
and  Miss  Danesbury." 

Hester  stood  perfectly  still,  her  color  changed 
from  red  to  white  ;  for  full  half  a  minute  she  was 
silent.  Then,  hearing  a  voice  from  below  calling  to- 
her,  she  said  in  a  cold,  quiet  tone  : 

"  That  will  do,  Alice ;  thank  you  for  letting  me 
know." 

She  turned  to  her  drawer  and  put  back  Nan's 
white  and  pretty  things,  and  also  replaced  a  new  and 
very  becoming  shady  hat  which  she  had  meant  to 
wear  herself.  In  her  old  winter  hat,  and  looking 
almost  untidy  for  her,  she  walked  slowly  down  stairs 
and  took  her  place  in  the  wagonette  which  was 
drawn  up  at  the  door. 

Cecil  Temple  and  one  or  two  other  girls  whom 
Hester  liked  very  much  were  in  the  same  wagon- 
ette, but  she  scarcely  cared  to  talk  to  them,  and 
only  joined  in  their  laughter  by  a  strong  effort.  She 


162  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS, 

was  deeply  wounded,  but  her  keenest  present  desire 
was  to  hide  any  feelings  of  jealousy  she  had  toward 
Annie  from  the  quick  eyes  of  her  schoolfellows. 

"  Why,"  suddenly  exclaimed  Julia  Morris,  a  par- 
ticularly unobservant  girl,  "  I  thought  you  were 
going  to  bring  that  dear  baby  sister  with  you,  Hester. 
Oh,  I  do  hope  there  is  nothing  the  matter  with  her." 

"  Nan  has  gone  on  in  the  first  wagonette  with 
the  little  children,"  said  Hester  as  cheerfully  as  she 
could  speak,  but  she  colored  slightly,  and  saw  that 
Cecil  was  regarding  her  attentively. 

Susan  Drummond  exclaimed  suddenly: 

"  I  saw  Annie  Forest  rushing  down  the  stairs 
with  little  Nan,  and  Nan  had  her  arms  round  her 
neck,  and  was  laughing  merrily.  You  need  not  be 
anxious  about  Nan,  Hester  ;  she  was  quite  content 
to  go  with  Annie." 

"I  did  not  say  I  was  anxious,"  replied  Hester  in  a 
cold  voice.  "  How  very  beautiful  that  avenue  of 
beech  trees  is,  Cecil !" 

"  But  Annie  heard  Miss  Good  say  that  you  were 
to  take  Nan,"  persisted  Julia  Morris.  "  She  could 
not  but  have  noticed  it,  for  you  did  flush  up  so, 
Hester,  and  looked  so  eager.  I  never  saw  any  one 
more  in  earnest  about  a  trifle  in  my  life  ;  it  was  im- 
possible for  Annie  not  to  have  heard." 

"  The  great  thing  is  that  Nan  is  happy,"  said 
Hester  in  a  fretted  voice.  "  Do  let  us  change  the 
subject,  girls." 

Cecil  instantly  began  talking  about  the  coming 
plays,  and  soon  the  conversation  became  of  au 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  163 

absorbing  character,  and  Hester's  voice  was  hean" 
oftener  than  the  others,  and  she  laughed  more  fre, 
quently  than  her  companions. 

For  all  this  forced  merriment,  however,  Cecil  did 
not  fail  to  observe  that  when  Hester  got  to  the  place 
of  meeting  at  Burn  Castle  she  looked  around  her 
with  a  quick  and  eager  glance.  Then  the  color 
faded  from  her  face,  and  her  eyes  grew  dim. 

That  look  of  pain  on  Hester's  face  was  quite 
enough  for  kind-hearted  Cecil.  She  had  thrown 
herself  on  the  grass  with  an  exclamation  of  delight, 
but  in  an  instant  she  was  on  her  feet. 

"  Now,  of  course,  the  first  thing  is  to  find  little 
Nan,"  she  said  ;  "  she'll  be  missing  you  dreadfully, 
Hetty." 

Cecil  held  out  her  hand  to  Hester  to  run  with 
her  through  the  wood,  but,  to  her  surprise,  Hester 
drew  back. 

"  I'm  tired,"  she  said ;  "  I  daresay  we  shall  find 
JSfan  presently.  She  is  sure  to  be  safe,  as  she  is 
under  Miss  Danesbury's  care." 

Cecil  made  no  remark,  but  set  off  by  herself  to 
find  the  little  children.  Presently,  standing  on  a 
little  knoll,  and  putting  her  two  hands  round  her 
lips,  so  as  to  form  a  speaking  trumpet,  she  shouted 
to  Hester.  Hester  came  slowly  and  apparently  un- 
willingly toward  her,  but  when  she  got  to  the  foot  of 
the  knoll,  Cecil  flew  down,  and,  taking  her  by  the 
hand,  ran  with  her  to  the  top. 

"  Oh,  do  come  quick  !"  she  exclaimed  ;  "it  is  such 
a  pretty  sight." 


164  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS, 

Down  in  the  valley  about  fifty  yards  away  were 
the  ten  or  twelve  little  children  who  formed  the 
infant  portion  of  the  school.  Miss  Danesbury  was 
sitting  at  some  distance  off  quietly  reading,  and  the 
children,  decked  with  flowers,  and  carrying  tall 
grasses  and  reeds  in  their  hands,  were  flying  round 
and  round  in  a  merry  circle,  while  in  their  midst, 
and  the  center  attraction,  stood  Annie,  whose  hat  was 
tossed  aside,  and  whose  bright,  curling  hair  was 
literally  crowned  with  wild  flowers.  On  Annie's 
shoulder  stood  little  Nan,  carefully  and  beautifully 
poised,  and  round  Nan's  wavy  curls  was  a  starry 
wreath  of  wood-anemones.  Nan  was  shouting  glee- 
fully and  clapping  her  hands,  while  Annie  balanced 
her  slightest  movement  with  the  greatest  agility, 
and  kept  her  little  feet  steady  on  her  shoulders  with 
scarcely  an  effort.  As  the  children  ran  round  and 
round  Annie  she  waltzed  gracefully  backward  and 
forward  to  meet  them,  and  they  all  sang  snatches  of 
nursery  rhymes.  When  Cecil  and  Hester  appeared 
they  had  reached  in  their  varied  collection  : 

"  Humpty  Dumpty  sat  on  a  wall, 
Humpty  Dumpty  had  a  great  fall." 

Here  Nan  exclaimed,  in  her  clear,  high-pitched 
voice  : 

"  Me  no  fall,  Annie,"  and  the  small  children  on  the 
ground  clapped  their  hands  and  blew  kisses  to  her. 

"Isn't  it  pretty?  Isn't  Annie  sweet  with  chil- 
dren ?"  said  Cecil,  looking  round  to  Hester  with  all 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  165 

tne  admiration  she  felt  for  her  friend  shining  in  her 
face.  The  expression,  however,  which  Hester  wore 
at  that  moment  really  startled  Cecil ;  she  was  abst>- 
lutely  colorless,  and  presently  she  called  aloud  in  a 
harsh,  strained  voice : 

"  Be  careful  of  her  !  How  wicked  of  you  to  put 
her  like  that  on  your  shoulder  !  She  will  fall — yes, 
I  know  she  will  fall ;  oh,  do  be  careful !" 

Hester's  voice  startled  the  children,  who  ceased 
singing  and  dancing  ;  Annie  made  a  hasty  step  for- 
ward, and  one  little  voice  alone  kept  singing  out  thcr 
words : 

"  Humpty-Dumpty  got  a  great  fall ! " — 

when  there  was  a  crash  and  a  cry,  and  Nan,  in  some 
inexplicable  way,  had  fallen  backward  from  Annie's 
shoulders. 

In  one  instant  Hester  was  in  the  midst  of  the 
group. 

"  Don't  touch  her,"  she  said,  as  Annie  flew  to  pick 
up  the  child,  who,  falling  with  some  force  on  her 
head,  had  been  stunned ;  "  don't  touch  her — don't 
dare  !  It  was  your  doing  ;  you  did  it  on  purpose— 
you  wished  to  do  it !" 

"  You  are  unjust !"  said  Annie,  in  a  low  tone. 
"  Nan  was  perfectly  safe  until  you  startled  her. 
Like  all  the  rest  you  are  unjust.  Nan  would  have 
come  to  no  harm  if  you  had  not  spoken." 

Hester  did  not  vouchsafe  another  word.  She  sat 
on  the  ground  with  the  unconscious  and  pretty  little 
flower-crowned  figure  laid  across  her  lap ;  she  was 


166  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

terrified,  and  thought  in  her  inexperience  that  Nan 
must  be  dead. 

•At  the  first  mention  of  the  accident  Cecil  had 
flown  to  fetch  some  water,  and  when  she  and  Miss 
Danesbury  applied  it  to  little  Nan's  temples,  she 
presently  sighed,  and  opened  her  brown  eyes  wide. 

"  I  hope — I  trust  she  is  not  much  hurt,"  said  Miss 
Danesbury  ;  "  but  I  think  it  safest  to  take  her  home 
at  once.  Cecil,  dear,  can  you  do  anything  about 
fetching  a  wagonette  round  to  the  stile  at  the 
entrance  of  the  wood  ?  Now  the  puzzle  is,  who  is 
to  take  care  of  the  rest  of  the  little  children  ?  If 
only  they  were  under  Miss  Good's  care,  I  should 
breathe  more  easily." 

"lam  going  home  with  Nan,"  said  Hester  in  a 
hard  voice. 

"  Of  course,  my  love ;  no  one  would  think  of 
parting  you  from  your  little  sister,"  said  the  govern- 
ess, soothingly. 

"If  you  please,  Miss  Danesbury,"  said  Annie^ 
whose  face  was  quite  as  pale  as  Hester's,  and  her 
eyes  heavy  as  though  she  longed  to  cry,  "  will  you 
trust  me  with  the  little  ones?  If  you  do,  I  will 
promise  to  take  them  straight  to  Miss  Good,  and  to 
be  most  careful  of  them." 

Miss  Danesbury's  gentle  and  kind  face  looked 
relieved. 

"  Thank  you,  Annie — of  course  I  trust  you,  dear. 
Take  the  children  at  once  to  the  meeting-place 
under  the  great  oak,  and  wait  there  until  Miss  Good 
appears." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  167 

Annie  suddenly  sprang  forward,  and  threw  her 
arms  round  Miss  Danesbury's  neck. 

"  Miss  Danesbury,  you  comfort  me,"  she  said,  in 
a  kind  of  stifled  voice,  and  then  she  ran  off  with  the 
children. 


168  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

"  HUMPTY-DUMPTY     HAD    A    GREAT    FALL." 

ALL  THE  stupor  and  languor  which  immediately 
followed  Nan's  fall  passed  off  during  her  drive 
home  ;  she  chatted  and  laughed,  her  cheeks  were 
flushed,  her  eyes  bright.  Hester  turned  with  a 
relieved  face  to  Miss  Danesbury. 

"  My  little  darling  is  all  right,  is  she  not  ?"  she 
said.  "Oh,  I  was  so  terrified — oh,  how  thankful  I 
am  no  harm  has  been  done  !" 

Miss  Danesbury  did  not  return  Hester's  full  gaze  ; 
she  attempted  to  take  little  Nan  on  her  knee,  but 
Nan  clung  to  Hetty.  Then  she  said  : 

"  You  must  be  careful  to  keep  the  sun  off  her, 
dear — hold  your  parasol  well  down — just  so.  That 
is  better.  When  we  get  home,  I  will  put  her  to  bed 
at  once.  Please  God,  there  is  nothing  wrong ; 
but  one  cannot  be  too  careful." 

Something  in  Miss  Danesbury's  manner  affected 
Hester  strangely ;  she  clasped  Nan's  slight  baby 
form  closer  and  closer  to  her  heart,  and  no  longer 
joined  in  the  little  one's  mirth.  As  the  drive  drew  to 
a  close,  Nan  again  ceased  talking,  and  fell  into  a 
heavy  sleep. 

Miss  Danesbury's  face  grew  graver   and  graver 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  169 

and.  when  the  wagonette  drew  up  at  Lavender 
House,  she  insisted  on  lifting  the  sleeping  child  out 
of  Hester's  arms,  and  carrying  her  up  to  her  little 
crib.  When  Nan's  little  head  was  laid  on  the  cool 
pillow,  she  again  opened  her  eyes,  and  instantly 
asked  for  a  drink.  Miss  Danesbury  gave  her  some 
milk  and  water,  but  the  moment  she  drank  it  she 
was  sick. 

"  Just  as  I  feared,"  said  the  governess  ;  "  there  is 
some  little  mischief — not  much,  I  hope — but  we  must 
instantly  send  for  the  doctor." 

As  Miss  Danesbury  walked  across  the  room  to 
ring  the  bell,  Hester  followed  her. 

"She's  not  in  danger?"  she  whispered  in  a 
hoarse  voice.  "  If  she  is,  Annie  is  guilty  of  mur- 
der." 

"  Don't,  my  dear,  said  the  governess  ;  "  you  must 
keep  quiet  for  Nan's  sake.  Please  God,  she  will  soon 
be  better.  All  I  really  apprehend  is  a  little  excite- 
ment and  feverishness,  which  will  pass  off  in  a  few 
days  with  care.  Hester,  my  dear,  I  suddenly  remem- 
ber that  the  house  is  nearly  empty,  for  all  the  servants 
are  also  enjoying  a  holiday.  I  think  I  must  send 
you  for  Dr.  Mayflower.  The  wagonette  is  still  at 
the  door.  Drive  at  once  to  town,  my  dear,  and  ask 
the  coachman  to  take  you  to  No.  10,  The  Parade. 
If  you  are  very  quick,  you  will  catch  Dr. 
Mayflower  before  he  goes  out  on  his  afternoon 
rounds." 

Hester  glanced  for  half  an  instant  at  Nan,  but 
her  eyes  were  again  closed. 


170  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  I  will  take  the  best  care  of  her,"  said  the 
governess  in  a  kind  voice  ;  don't  lose  an  instant, 
dear." 

Hester  snatched  up  her  hat  and  flew  down  stairs. 
In  a  moment  she  was  in  the  wagonette,  and  the 
driver  was  speedily  urging  his  horses  in  the  direction 
of  the  small  town  of  Sefton,  two  miles  and  a  half 
away.  Hester  was  terrified  now — so  terrified,  in 
such  an  agony,  that  she  even  forgot  Annie ;  her 
hatred  toward  Annie  became  of  secondary  impor- 
tance to  her.  All  her  ideas,  all  her  thoughts,  were 
swallowed  up  in  the  one  great  hope — Should  she 
be  in  time  to  reach  Dr.  Mayflower's  house  before 
he  set  off  on  his  afternoon  rounds  ?  As  the  wag- 
onette approached  Sefton  she  buried  her  face 
in  her  hands  and  uttered  a  sharp  inward  cry  of 
agony. 

"  Please  God,  let  me  find  the  doctor  !"  It  was  a 
real  prayer  from  her  heart  of  hearts.  The  wag- 
onette drew  up  at  the  doctor's  residence,  to  dis- 
cover him  stepping  into  his  brougham.  Hester  was 
a  shy  child,  and  had  never  seen  him  before ;  but 
she  instantly  raised  her  voice,  and  almost  shouted  to 
him  : 

"  You  are  to  come  with  me  ;  please,  you  are  to  come 
at  once.  Little  Nan  is  ill — she  is  hurt.  Please,  you 
are  to  come  at  once." 

"  Eh  !  young  lady  ?"  said  the  round-faced  doctor. 
"  Oh  !  I  see  ;  you  are  one  of  the  little  girls  from 
Lavender  House.  Is  anything  wrong  there, 
dear?" 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Hester  managed  to  relate  what  had  occurred ; 
whereupon  the  doctor  instantly  opened  the  door  of 
the  wagonette. 

"  Jump  out,  young  lady,"  he  said ;  "  I  will  drive 
you  back  in  my  brougham.  Masters,"  addressing 
his  coachman,  "  to  Lavender  House." 

Hester  sat  back  in  the  soft-cushioned  carriage, 
which  bowled  smoothly  along  the  road.  It  seemed 
to  her  impatience  that  the  pace  at  which  they  went 
was  not  half  quick  enoiigh — she  longed  to  put  her 
head  out  of  the  window  to  shout  to  the  coachman  to 
go  faster.  She  felt  intensely  provoked  with  the 
doctor,  who  sat  placidly  by  her  side  reading  a  news- 
paper. 

Presently  she  saw  that  his  eyes  were  fixed  on  her. 
He  spoke  in  his  quietest  tones. 

"We  always  take  precisely  twenty  minutes  to 
drive  from  the  Parade  to  Lavender  House — twenty 
minutes,  neither  more  or  less.  We  shall  be  there 
now  in  exactly  ten  minutes."" 

Hester  tried  to  smile,  but  failed ;  her  agony  of 
apprehension  grew  and  grew.  She  breathed  more 
freely  when  they  turned  into  the  avenue.  When 
they  stopped  at  the  wide  stone  porch,  and  the  doctor 
got  out,  she  uttered  a  sigh  of  relief.  She  took  Dr. 
Mayflower  herself  up  to  Nan's  room.  Miss  Danes- 
bury  opened  the  door,  the  doctor  went  inside,  and 
Hester  crouched  down  on  the  landing  and  waited. 
It  seemed  to  her  that  the  good  physician  would 
never  come  out.  When  he  did  she  raised  a  perfectly 
blanched  face  to  his,  she  opened  her  lips,  tried  to 


172  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

speak,  but  no  words  would  come.  Her  agitation 
was  so  intense  that  the  kind-hearted  doctor  took 
instant  pity  on  her. 

"  Come  into  this  room,  my  child,"  he  said.  "  My 
dear,  you  will  be  ill  yourself  if  you  give  way  like 
this.  Pooh  !  pooh !  this  agitation  is  extreme — is 
uncalled  for.  You  have  got  a  shock.  I  shall  pre- 
scribe a  glass  of  sherry  at  once.  Come  down  stairs 
with  me,  and  I  will  see  that  you  get  one." 

"  But  how  is  she,  sir — how  is  she  ?"  poor  Hester 
managed  to  articulate. 

"  Oh  !  the  little  one — sweet,  pretty,  little  darling. 
I  did  not  know  she  was  your  sister — a  dear  little 
child.  She  got  an  ugly  fall,  though — came  on  a 
nasty  place." 

"  But,  please,  sir,  how  is  she  ?  She — she — she  is 
not  in  danger  ?" 

"  Danger  ?  by  no  means,  unless  you  put  her  into 
it.  She  must  be  kept  very  quiet,  and,  above  all 
things,  not  excited.  I  will  come  to  see  her  again 
to-morrow  morning.  With  proper  care  she  ought 
to  be  quite  herself  in  a  few  days.  Ah  !  now  you've 
got  a  little  color  in  your  cheek,  come  down  with  me 
and  have  that  glass  of  sherry,  and  you  will  feel  all 
right." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  173 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ANNIE    TO    THE    RESCUE. 

THE  PICNIC-PARTY  arrived  home  late.  The  acci- 
dent to  little  Nan  had  not  shortened  the  day's  pleas- 
ure, although  Mrs.  Willis,  the  moment  she  heard  of 
it,  had  come  back :  for  she  entered  the  hall  just  as 
the  doctor  was  stepping  into  his  carriage.  He  gave 
her  his  opinion,  and.  said  that  he  trusted  no 
further  mischief,  beyond  a  little  temporary  excite- 
ment, had  been  caused.  He  again,  however,  spoke 
of  the  great  necessity  of  keeping  Nan  quiet,  and 
said  that  her  schoolfellows  must  not  come  to  her, 
and  that  she  must  not  be  excited  in  any  way.  Mrs. 
Willis  came  into  the  great  hall  where  Hester  was 
standing.  Instantly  she  went  up  to  the  young  girl, 
and  put  her  arm  around  and  drew  her  to  her  side. 

"  Darling,"  she  said,  "  this  is  a  grievous  anxiety 
for  you  ;  no  words  can  express  my  sorrow  and  my 
sympathy  ;  but  the  doctor  is  quite  hopeful,  Hester, 
and,  please  God,  we  shall  soon  have  the  little  one 
as  well  as  ever." 

"  You  are  really  sorry  for  me  ?"  said  Hester, 
raising  her  eyes  .to  the  head-mistress'  face. 

"  Of  course,  dear  ;  need  you  ask  ?" 


174  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Then  you  will  have  that  wicked  Annie  Forest 
punished — well  punished — well  punished." 

"  Sometimes,  Hester,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  very 
gravely,  "  God  takes  the  punishment  of  our  wrong- 
doings into  His  own  hands.  Annie  came  home 
with  me.  Had  you  seen  her  face  as  we  drove  to- 
gether you  would  not  have  asked  me  to  punish 
her." 

"  Unjust,  always  unjust,"  muttered  Hester,  but  in 
so  low  a  voice  that  Mrs.  Willis  did  not  hear  the 
words.  "  Please  may  I  go  to  little  Nan  ?"  she  said. 

"  Certainly,  Hester — some  tea  shall  be  sent  up  to 
you  presently." 

Miss  Danesb.ury  arranged  to  spend  the  night  in 
Nan's  room.  A  sofa  bed  was  brought  in  for  her  to 
lie  on,  for  Mrs.  Willis  had  yielded  to  Hester's  al- 
most feverish  entreaties  that  she  might  not  be  ban- 
ished from  her  little  sister.  Not  a  sound  reached 
the  room  where  Nan  was  lying — even  the  girls 
took  off  their  shoes  as  they  passed  the  door — not  a 
whisper  came  to  disturb  the  sick  child.  Little  Nan 
slept  most  of  the  evening,  only  sometimes  opening 
her  eyes  and  looking  up  drowsily  when  Miss  Danes- 
bury  changed  the  cold  application  to  her  head.  At 
nine  o'clock  there  came  a  low  tap  at  the  room 
door.  Hester  went  to  open  it ;  one  of  her  school- 
fellows stood  without. 

"  The  prayer-gong  is  not  to  be  sounded  to-night. 
Will  you  come  to  the  chapel  now?  Mrs.  Willis 
sent  me  to  ask." 

Hester  shook  her  head. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  175 

"  I  cannot,"  she   whispered  ;  "  tell  her    I    cannot 
come." 

"  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry  !"  replied  the  girl ;  "  is  Nan 
very  bad  ?" 

"  I  don't  know  ;  I  hope  not.  Good-night.'' 
Hester  closed  the  room  door,  took  off  her  dress, 
and  began  very  softly  to  prepare  to  get  into  bed. 
She  put  on  her  dressing  gown,  and  knelt  down  as 
usual  to  her  private  prayers.  When  she  got  on  her 
knees,  however,  she  found  it  impossible  to  pray : 
her  brain  felt  in  a  whirl,  her  feelings  were  un- 
prayer-like  ;  and  with  the  temporary  relief  of  be- 
lieving Nan  in  no  immediate  danger  came  such  a 
flood  of  hatred  toward  Annie  as  almost  frightened 
her.  She  tried  to  ask  God  to  make  Nan  better — 
quite  well ;  but  even  this  petition  seemed  to  go  no 
way — to  reach  no  one — to  fall  flat  on  the  empty 
air.  She  rose  from  her  knees,  and  got  quietly  into 
bed- 
Nan  lay  in  that  half-drowsy  and  languid  state 
until  midnight.  Hester,  with  all  her  very  slight 
experience  of  illness,  thought  that  as  long  as  Nan 
was  quiet  she  must  be  getting  better  ;  but  Miss 
Danesbury  was  by  no  means  so  sure,  and,  notwith- 
standing the  doctor's  verdict,  she  felt  anxious  about 
the  child.  » Hester  had  said  that  she  could  not 
sleep  ;  but  at  Miss  Danesbury's  special  request  she 
got  into  bed,  and  before  she  knew  anything  about 
it  was  in  a  sound  slumber.  At  midnight,  when  all 
the  house  was  quiet,  and  Miss  Danesbury  kept  a 
lonely  watch  by  the  sick  child's  pillow,  there  came 


176  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

a  marked  change  for  the  worse  in  the  little  one. 
She  opened  her  feverish  eyes  wide  and  began  to 
call  out  piteously  ;  but  her  cry  now  was,  not  for 
Hester,  but  for  Annie. 

"Me  want  my  Annie,"  she  said  over  and  over, 
"  me  do,  me  do  No,  no  ;  go  'way,  naughty  Day- 
bury,  me  want  my  Annie  ;  me  do  want  her." 

Miss  Danesbury  felt  puzzled  and  distressed.  Hes- 
ter, however,  was  awakened  by  the  piteous  cry,  and 
sat  up  in  bed. 

"  What  is  it,  Miss  Danesbury  ?"  she  asked. 

"  She  is  very  much  excited,  Hester  ;  she  is  calling 
for  Annie  Forest." 

"Oh,  that  is  quite  impossible,"  said  Hester,  a 
shudder  passing  through  her.  "Annie  can't  come 
here.  The  doctor  specially  said  that  none  of  the 
girls  were  to  come  near  Nan." 

"  Me  want  Annie  ;  me  want  my  own  Annie,  ' 
wailed  the  sick  child. 

"  Give  me  my  dressing-gown,  please,  Miss  Danes- 
bury,  and  I  will  go  to  her,"  said  Hester. 

She  sprang  out  of  bed,  and  approached  the  little 
crib.  The  brightness  of  Nan's  feverish  eyes  was 
distinctly  seen.  She  looked  up  at  Hester,  who  bent 
over  her  ;  then  she  uttered  a  sharp  cry  and  covered 
her  little  face. 

"Go  'way,  go  'way,  naughty  Hetty — Nan  want 
Annie  ;  Annie  sing,  Annie  p'ay  with  Nan — go  'way, 
go  'way,  Hetty." 

Hester's  heart  was  too  full  to  allow  her  to  speak ; 
but  she  knelt  by  the  crib  and  tried  to  take  one  of  the 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  17? 

little  hot  hands  in  hers.  Nan,  however,  pushed  her 
hands  away,  and  now  began  to  cry  loudly. 

"  Annie  ! — Annie  ! — Annie  !  me  want  'oo  ;  Nan 
want  'oo — poor  tibby  Nan  want  'oo,  Annie  !" 

Miss  Danesbury  touched  Hester  on  her  shoulder. 
.  "  My  dear,"  she  said,  "  the  child's  wish  must  be 
gratified.  Annie  has  an  extraordinary  power  over 
children,  and  under  the  circumstances  I  shall  take  it 
upon  me  to  disobey  the  doctor's  directions.  The 
child  must  be  quieted  at  all  hazards.  Run  for  Annie, 
dear — you  know  her  room.  I  had  better  stay  with 
little  Nan,  for,  though  she  loves  you  best,  you  don't 
soothe  her  at  present — that  is  often  so  with  a  fever 
case." 

"One  moment,"  said  Hester.  She  turned  again 
to  the  little  crib. 

"  Hetty  is  going  to  fetch  Annie  for  Nan.  Will 
Nan  give  her  own  Hetty  one  kiss  ?" 

Instantly  the  little  arms  were  flung  round  Hester's 
neck. 

"  Me  like  'oo  now,  dood  Hetty.  Go  for  Annie, 
dood  Hetty." 

Instantly  Hester  ran  out  of  the  room.  She  flew 
quickly  down  the  long  passage,  and  did  not  know 
what  a  strange  little  figure  she  made  as  the  moon 
from  a  large  window  at  one  end  fell  full  upon  her. 
So  eerie,  so  ghost-like  was  her  appearance  as  she  flew 
noiselessly  with  her  bare  feet  along  the  passage  that 
some  one — Hester  did  not  know  whom — gave  a 
stifled  cry.  The  cry  seemed  to  come  from  a  good 
way  off,  and  Hester  was  too  pre -occupied  to  notice  it 


178  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

She  darted  into  the  room  where  Susan  Drummond 
and  Annie  Forest  slept. 

"  Annie,  you  are  to  come  to  Nan,"  she  said  in  a 
sharp  high-pitched  voice  which  she  scarcely  recog- 
nized as  her  own. 

"  Coming,"  said  Annie,  and  she  walked  instantly 
to  the  door  with  her  dress  on  and  stood  in  the  moon- 
light. 

"You  are  dressed !"  said  Hester  in  astonishment. 

"  I  could  not  undress — I  lay  down  as  I  was.  I 
fancied  I  heard  Nan's  voice  calling  me.  I  guessed  I 
should  be  sent  for." 

"  Well,  come  now,"  said  Hester  in  her  hardest 
tones.  "You  were  only  sent  for  because  Nan  must 
be  quieted  at  any  risk.  Come  and  see  if  you  can 
quiet  her.  I  don't  suppose,"  with  a  bitter  laugh 
"  that  you  will  succeed." 

"  I  think  so,"  replied  Annie,  in  a  very  soft  and 
gentle  tone. 

She'walked  back  by  Hester's  side  and  entered  the 
sick-room.  She  walked  straight  up  to  the  little  cot 
and  knelt  down  by  Nan,  and  said,  in  that  strangely 
melodious  voice  of  hers : 

"  Little  darling,  Annie  has  come." 

"  Me  like  'oo,"  said  Nan  with  a  satisfied  coo  vtt 
her  voice,  and  she  turned  round  on  her  side  with 
her  back  to  Miss  Danesbury  and  Hester  and  her 
eyes  fixed  on  Annie. 

"  Sing  *  Four-and-twenty,'  Annie  ;  sing  '  Four-and 
twentv,'  "  she  said  presently. 

*  Four-and-twenty  blackbirds    baked   in    a   pie," 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  l?g 

sang  Annie  in  a  low  clear  voice,  without  a  moment's 
hesitation.  She  went  through  the  old  nursery  rhyme 
once — twice.  Then  Nan  interrupted  her  fretfully: 

"Me  don't  want  dat  'dain  ;  sing  'Boy  Blue.' 
Annie." 

Annie  sang. 

'"Tree  Little  Kittens,'  Annie,"  interrupted  the 
little  voice  presently. 

For  more  than  two  hours  Annie  knelt  by  the 
child,  singing  nursery  rhyme  after  nursery  rhyme, 
while  the  bright  beautiful  eyes  were  fixed  on  her 
face,  and  the  little  voice  said  incessantly: 

"  Sing,  Annie — sing." 

"  *  Baby  Bun,'  now,"  said  Nan,  when  Annie  had 
come  almost  to  the  end  of  her  selection. 

"  Bye  baby  bunting, 
Daddy's  gone  a  hunting- 
He's  gone  to  fetch  a  rabbit  skin, 
To  place  the  baby  bunting  in.* 

Ove-  jind  over  and  over  did  Annie  sing  the  words. 
Whenever,  *ven  for  a  brief  moment  she  paused,  Nan 
said  : 

"  Sing,  Annie — sing  '  Baby  Bun.' " 

And  all  the  time  the  eyes  remained  wide  open, 
and  the  little  hands  were  burning  hot ;  but,  gradu- 
ally, after  more  than  two  hours  of  constant  singing, 
Annie  began  to  fancy  that  the  burning  skin  was 
cooler.  Then — could  she  believe  it? — she  saw  the 
lids  droop  over  the  wide-open  eyes.  Five  minutes 
later,  to  the  tune  of  "  Baby  Bunting,"  Nan  had  fallen 
into  a  deep  and  sound  sleep. 


,'.60  A   WORLD  OF 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

A   SPOILED   BABY. 

IN  THE  morning  Nan  was  better,  and  although 
for  days  she  was  in  a  very  precarious  state,  and  had 
to  be  kept  as  quiet  as  possible,  yet  Miss  Danesbury's 
great  dread  that  fever  would  set  in  had  passed 
away.  The  doctor  said,  however,  that  Nan  had 
barely  escaped  real  injury  to  her  brain,  and  that  it 
would  be  many  a  day  before  she  would  romp  again, 
and  play  freely  and  noisily  with  the  other  children. 
Nan  had  chosen  her  own  nurse,  and,  with  the  impe- 
riousness  of  all  babies — to  say  nothing  of  sick  babies 
— she  had  her  way.  From  morning  till  night  Annie 
remained  with  her,  and  when  the  doctor  saw  how 
Annie  alone  could  soothe  and  satisfy  the  child  he 
would  not  allow  it  to  be  otherwise.  At  first  Nan 
would  lie  with  her  hand  in  Annie's,  and  her  little  cry 
of  "  sing,  Annie,"  going  on  from  time  to  time  ;  but  as 
she  grew  better  Annie  would  sit  with  her  by  the 
open  window,  with  her  head  pillowed  on  her  breast, 
and  her  arm  round  the  little  slender  form,  and  Nan 
vrould  smile  and  look  adoringly  at  Annie,  who  would 
often  return  her  gaze  with  intense  sadness,  and  an 
indescribable  something  in  her  face  which  caused 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  181 

the  little  one  to  stroke  her  cheek  tenderly,  and  say 
in  her  sweet  baby  voice  • 

"  Poor  Annie  ;  poor  tibby  Annie  !" 

They  made  a  pretty  picture  as  they  sat  there. 
Annie,  with  her  charming  gypsy  face,  her  wild  lux- 
uriant, curly  hair,  all  the  sauciness  and  unrest  in  her 
soothed  by  the  magic  of  the  little  child's  presence  ; 
and  the  little  child  herself,  with  her  faint,  wild-rose 
color,  her  dark,  deep  eyes,  clear  as  summer  pools,  and 
her  sunshiny  golden  hair.  But  pretty  as  the  picture 
was  Hester  loathed  it,  for  Hester  thought  during 
these  wretched  days  that  her  heart  would  break. 

Not  that  Nan  turned  away  from  Hetty ;  she 
petted  her  and  kissed  her,  and  sometimes  put  ari 
arm  round  Hetty  and  an  arm  round  Annie,  as 
though,  if  she  could,  she  would  draw  them  together  ; 
but  any  one  could  see  that  her  heart  of  hearts  was 
given  to  Annie,  and  that  Hester  ranked  second  in 
her  love.  Hester  would  not  for  worlds  express  any 
of  her  bitter  feelings  before  Annie  ;  nay,  as  the  doc- 
tor and  Miss  Danesbury  both  declared  that,  however 
culpable  Annie  might  have  been  in  causing  the  acci- 
dent, she  had  saved  little  Nan's  life  by  her  wonder- 
ful skill  in  soothing  her  to  sleep  on  the  first  night  of 
her  illness,  Hester  had  felt  obliged  to  grumble  some- 
thing which  might  I.  ave  been  taken  for  "  thanks." 

Annie,  in  reply  to  this  grumble,  had  bestowed 
upon  Hester  one  of  her  quickest,  brightest  glances, 
for  she  fathomed  the  true  state  of  Hester's  heart 
toward  her  well  enough. 

These  were  very  bad  days  for  poor  Hester,  and 


182  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

but  for  the  avidity  with  which  she  threw  herseli 
into  her  studies  she  could  scarcely  have  borne  them. 

By  slow  degrees  Nan  got  better  ;  she  was  allowed 
to  come  down  stairs  and  to  sit  in  Annie's  arms  in  the 
garden,  and  then  Mrs.  Willis  interfered,  and  said 
that  Annie  must  go  back  to  her  studies,  and  only 
devote  her  usual  play  hours  and  half-holidays  to 
"Nan's  service. 

This  mandate,  however,  produced  woe  and  tribu- 
lation. The  spoiled  child  screamed  and  beat  her 
little  hands,  and  worked  herself  up  into  such  a  pitch 
of  excitement  that  that  night  she  found  her  way  in  her 
sleep  to  Annie's  room,  and  Annie  had  to  quiet  her 
by  taking  her  into  her  bed.  In  the  morning  the 
doctor  had  to  be  sent  for,  and  he  instantly  prescribed 
a  day  or  two  more  of  Annie's  company  for  the  child. 

Mrs.  Willis  felt  dreadfully  puzzled.  She  had  un- 
dertaken the  charge  of  the  little  one ;  her  father 
was  already  far  away,  so  it  was  impossible  now  to 
make  any  change  of  plans ;  the  child  was  ill — had 
been  injured  by  an  accident  caused  by  Annie's  care- 
lessness and  by  Hester's  want  of  self-control.  But 
weak  and  ill  as  Nan  still  was,  Mrs.  Willis  felt  that 
an  undue  amount  of  spoiling  was  good  for  no  one. 
She  thought  it  highly  unjust  to  Annie  to  keep  her 
from  her  school  employments  at  this  most  important 
period  of  the  year.  If  Annie  did  not  reach  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  excellence  in  her  school  marks  she 
could  not  be  promoted  in  her  class.  Mrs.  Willis 
did  not  expect  the  wild  and  heedless  girl  to  carry  off 
any  special  prizes  ;  but  her  abilities  were  quite  up 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  183 

to  the  average,  and  she  always  hoped  to  rouse  suffi- 
cient ambition  in  her  to  enable  her  to  acquire  ^ 
good  and  sound  education.  Mrs.  Willis  knew  how 
necessary  this  was  for  poor  Annie's  future,  and, 
after  giving  the  doctor  an  assurance  that  Nan's 
whirns  and  pleasures  should  be  attended  to  for  the 
next  two  or  three  days,  she  determined  at  the  end 
of  that  time  to  assert  her  own  authority  with  the 
child,  and  to  insist  on  Annie  working  hard  at 
her  lessons,  and  returning  to  her  usual  school-room 
life. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  Mrs.  Willis 
made  inquiries,  heard  that  Nan  had  spent  an  excel- 
lent night,  eaten  a  hearty  breakfast,  and  was 
altogether  looking  blooming.  When  the  girls  as- 
sembled in  the  school-room  for  their  lessons,  Annie 
brought  her  little  charge  down  to  the  large  play- 
room, where  they  established  themselves  cozily,  and 
Annie  began  to  instruct  little  Nan  in  the  mys- 
teries of 

41  Tic,  tac,  too, 
The  little  horse  has  lost  his  shoe." 

Nan  was  entering  into  the  spirit  of  the  game,  was 
imagining  herself  a  little  horse,  and  was  holding  out 
her  small  foot  to  be  shod,  when  Mrs.  Willis  entered 
the  room. 

"  Come  with  me,  Nan,"  she  said ;  "  I  have  got 
something  to  show  you." 

Nan  got  up  instantly,  held  out  one  hand  to  Mrs, 
Willis  and  the  other  to  Annie,  and  said,  in  her  con- 
fident baby  tones  : 


184  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Me  turn  ;  Annie  tumming  too." 

Mrs.  Willis  said  nothing,  but,  holding  the  little 
hand,  and  accompanied  by  Annie,  she  went  out  of 
the  playroom,  across  the  stone  hall,  and  through  the 
baize  doors  until  she  reached  her  own  delightful 
private  sitting-room. 

There  were  heaps  of  pretty  things  about,  and  Nan 
gazed  round  her  with  the  appreciative  glance  of  a 
pleased  connoisseur. 

"Pitty  "oom,"  she  said  approvingly.  "Nan 
likes  this  'oorn.  Me'll  stay  here,  and  so  will 
Annie." 

Here  she  uttered  a  sudden  cry  of  rapture — on 
the  floor,  with  its  leaves  temptingly  open,  lay  a 
gaily-painted  picture-book,  and  curled  up  in  a  soft 
fluffy  ball  by  its  side  was  a  white  Persian  kitten 
asleep. 

Mrs.  Willis  whispered  something  to  Annie,  who 
ran  out  of  the  room,  and  Nan  knelt  down  in  a  per- 
fect rapture  of  worship  by  the  kitten's  side. 

"  Pitty  tibby  pussy !"  she  exclaimed  several 
times,  and  she  rubbed  it  so  persistently  the  wrong 
way  that  the  kitten  shivered  and  stood  up,  arched 
its  back  very  high,  yawned,  turned  round  three 
times,  and  lay  down  again.  Alas  !  "  tibby  pussy  " 
was  not  allowed  -to  have  any  continuous  slumber. 
Nan  dragged  the  Persian  by  its  tail  into  her  lap, 
and  when  it  resisted  this  indignity,  and  with  two 
or  three  light  bounds  disappeared  out  of  the  room, 
she  stretched  out  her  little  hands  and  began  to  cry 
fcr  it. 


A    WORLD  O*  GIRLS.  185 

"Turn  back,  puss,  puss — turn  back,  poor  tibby 
puss — Nan  loves  'oc.  Annie,  go  fetch  puss  for  Nan." 
Then  for  the  first  time  she  discovered  that  Annie 
was  absent,  and  that  she  was  alone,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  Mrs.  Willis,  who  sat  busily  writing  at  a 
distant  table. 

Mrs.  Willis  counted  for  nothing  at  all  with  Nan — 
she  did  not  consider  her  of  the  smallest  importance, 
and  after  giving  her  a  quick  glance  of  some  disdain 
she  began  to  trot  round  the  room  on  a  voyage  of 
discovery.  Any  moment  Annie  would  come  back — 
Annie  had,  indeed,  probably  gone  to  fetch  the  kit- 
ten, and  would  quickly  return  with  it.  She  walked 
slowly  round  and  round,  keeping  well  away  from 
that  part  of  the  room  where  Mrs.  Willis  sat.  Pres- 
ently she  found  a  very  choice  little  china  jug,  which 
she  carefully  abstracted  with  her  small  fingers  from 
a  cabinet,  which  contained  many  valuable  treasures. 
She  sat  down  on  the  floor  exactly  beneath  the  cab- 
inet, and  began  to  play  with  her  jug.  She  went 
through  in  eager  pantomime  a  little  game  which 
Annie  had  invented  for  her,  and  imagined  that  she 
was  a  little  milkmaid,  and  that  the  jug  was  full  of 
sweet,  new  milk  ;  she  called  out  to  an  imaginary  set 
of  purchasers,  "Want  any  milk?"  and  then  she 
poured  some  by  way  of  drops  of  milk  into  the  palm 
of  her  little  hand,  which  she  drank  up  in  the  name 
of  her  customers  with  considerable  gusto.  Presently 
knocking  the  little  jug  with  some  vehemence  on  the 
floor  she  deprived  it  with  one  neat  blow  of  its  handle 
and  spout.  Mrs.  Willis  was  busily  writing,  and 


186  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

did  not  look  up.  Nan  was  not  in  the  least  discon- 
certed ;  she  said  aloud  : 

"  Poor  tibby  zug  b'oke,"  and  then  she  left  the  frag- 
ments on  the  floor,  and  started  off  on  a  fresh  voy- 
age of  discovery.  This  time  she  dragged  down  a 
large  photographic  album  on  to  a  cushion,  and,  kneel- 
ing by  it,  began  to  look  through  the  pictures,  flap- 
ping the  pages  together  with  a  loud  noise,  and  laugh- 
ing merrily  as  she  did  so.  She  was  now  much 
nearer  to  Mrs.  Willis,  who  was  attracted  by  the 
sound,  and  looking  up  hastened  to  the  rescue  of  one 
of  her  most  precious  collections  of  photographs. 

"  Nan,  dear,"  she  said,  "  shut  up  that  book  at  once. 
Nan  mustn't  touch.  Shut  the  book,  darling,  and  go 
and  sit  on  the  floor,  and  look  at  your  nice-colored 
pictures." 

Nan,  still  holding  a  chubby  hand  between  the 
leaves  of  the  album,  gave  Mrs.  Willis  a  full  defiant 
glance,  and  said  : 

"  Me  won't." 

"  Come,  Nan,"  said  the  head-mistress. 

"Me  want  Annie,"  said  Nan,  still  kneeling  by 
the  album,  and,  bending  her  head  over  the  photo- 
graphs, she  turned  the  page  and  burst  into  a  peal  of 
laughter. 

"  Pitty  bow  vow,"  she  said,  pointing  to  a  photo- 
graph of  a  retriever;  "oh,  pitty  bow  woo,  Nan 
loves  'oo." 

Mrs.  Willis  stooped  down  and  lifted  the  little  girl 
into  her  arms. 

"  Nan,  dear,"  she  said,  "  it  is  naughty  to  disobey. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  187 

Sit  down  by  your  picture-book,  and  be  a  good 
girl." 

"  Me  won't,"  said  Nan  again,  and  here  she  raised 
her  small  dimpled  hand  and  gave  Mrs.  Willis  a 
smart  slap  on  her  cheek. 

"  Naughty  lady,  me  don't  like  'oo  j  go  'way.  Nan 
want  Annie — Nan  do  want  Annie.  Me  don't  love 
'co,  naughty  lady ;  go  'way." 

Mrs.  WilV's  took  Nan  on  her  knee.  She  felt  that 
the  little  will  must  be  bent  to  hers,  but  the  task  was 
no  easy  one.  The  child  scarcely  knew  her,  she  was 
still  weak  and  excitable,  and  she  presently  burst  into 
storms  of  tears,  and  sobbsd  and  sobbed  as  though 
her  little  heart  would  break,  her  one  cry  being  for 
"Annie,  Annie,  Annie."  When  Annie  did  join  her 
in  the  play  hour,  the  little  cheeks  were  flushed,  the 
white  brow  ached,  and  the  child's  small  hands  were 
hot  and  feverish.  Mrs.  Willis  felt  terribly  puzzled 


188  *  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XXVL 

UNDER   THE   LAUREL  BUSH. 

MRS.  WILLIS  owned  to  herself  that  she  was  non- 
plussed ;  it  was  quite  impossible  to  allow  Annie  to 
neglect  her  studies,  and  yet  little  Nan's  health  was 
still  too  precarious  to  allow  her  to  run  the  risk  of 
having  the  child  constantly  fretted. 

Suddenly  a  welcome  idea  occurred  to  her ;  she 
would  write  at  once  to  Nan's  old  nurse,  and  see  if 
she  could  come  to  Lavender  House  for  the  remainder 
of  the  present  term.  Mrs.  Willis  dispatched  her 
letter  that  very  day,  and  by  the  following  evening 
the  nurse  was  once  more  in  possession  of  her  much- 
loved  little  charge.  The  habits  of  ner  babyhood 
were  too  strong  for  Nan ;  she  returned  to  them 
gladly  enough,  and  though  in  her  heart  of  hearts 
she  was  still  intensely  loyal  to  Annie,  she  no  longer 
fretted  when  she  was  not  with  her. 

Annie  resumed  her  ordinary  work,  and  though 
Hester  was  very  cold  to  her,  several  of  the  other 
girls  in  the  school  frankly  confided  to  their  favorite 
how  much  they  had  missed  her,  and  how  glad  they 
were  to  have  her  back  with  them  once  more. 

Annie  found  herself  at  this  time  in  an  ever-shift- 
ing mood — one  moment  she  longed  intensely  for  a 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  189 

kiss,  and  a  fervent  pardon  from  Mrs.  Willis'  lips; 
another,  she  said  to  herself  defiantly  she  could  and 
would  live  without  it ;  one  moment  the  hungry  and 
sorrowful  look  in  Hester's  eyes  went  straight  to 
Annie's  heart,  and  she  wished  she  might  restore 
her  little  treasure  whom  she  had  stolen;  the  next 
she  rejoiced  in  her  strange  power  over  Nan,  and 
resolved  to  keep  all  the  love  she  could  get. 

In  short,  Annie  was  in  that  condition  when  she 
could  be  easily  influenced  for  good  or  evil — she  was 
in  that  state  of  weakness  when  temptation  is  least 
easily  resisted. 

A  few  days  after  the  arrival  of  Nan's  nurse  Mrs. 
Willis  was  obliged  unexpectedly  to  leave  home ;  a 
near  relative  was  dangerously  ill  in  London,  and  the 
school-mistress  went  away  in  much  trouble  and 
anxiety.  Some  of  her  favorite  pupils  flocked  to  the 
front  entrance  to  see  their  beloved  mistress  off. 
Among  the  group  Cecil  stood,  and  several  girls  of 
the  first  class ;  many  of  the  little  girls  were  also 
present,  but  Annie  was  not  among  them.  Just  at 
the  last  moment  she  rushed  up  breathlessly ;  she 
was  tying  some  starry  jasmine  and  some  blue  for- 
get-me-nots together,  and  as  the  carriage  was 
moving  off  she  flung  the  charming  bouquet  into  her 
mistress'  lap. 

Mrs.  Willis  rewarded  her  with  one  of  her  old 
looks  of  confidence  and  love ;  she  raised  the  flowers 
to  her  lips  and  kissed  them,  and  her  eyes  smiled  on 
Annie. 

"Good-by,  dear,"  she  called  out;   "good-by,  all 


190  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

my  dear  girls ;  I  will  try  and  be  back  to-morrow 
night.  Remember,  my  children,  during  my  absence 
I  trust  you." 

The  carriage  disappeared  down  the  avenue,  and 
the  group  of  girls  melted  away.  Cecil  looked  round 
for  Annie,  but  Annie  had  been  the  first  to  disappear. 

When  her  mistress  had  kissed  the  flowers  and 
smiled  at  her,  Annie  darted  into  the  shrubbery  and 
stood  there  wiping  the  fast-falling  tears  from  her 
eyes.  She  was  interrupted  in  this  occupation  by  the 
sudden  cries  of  two  glad  and  eager  voices,  and  in- 
stantly her  hands  were  taken,  and  some  girls  rather 
younger  than  herself  began  to  drag  her  in  the 
opposite  direction  through  the  shrubbery. 

"  Come ;  Annie — come  at  once,  Annie,  darling," 
exclaimed  Phyllis  and  Nora  Raymond.  "  The  bas- 
ket has  come  ;  its  under  the  thick  laurel-tree  in  the 
back  avenue.  We  are  all  waiting  for  you  ;  we  none 
of  us  will  open  it  till  you  arrive." 

Annie's  face,  a  truly  April  one,  changed  as  if  by 
magic.  The  tears  dried  on  her  cheeks  ;  her  eyes 
filled  with  sunlight ;  she  was  all  eager  for  the  com- 
ing fun. 

"Then  we  won't  lose  a  moment,  Phyllis,"  she 
said  ;  "  we'll  see  what  that  duck  of  a  Betty  has  done 
for  us." 

The  three  girls  scampered  down  the  back  avenue, 
where  they  fotmd  five  of  their  companions,  among 
them  Susan  Drummond,  standing  in  different  atti- 
tudes of  expectation  near  a  very  large  and  low- 
growing  laurel-tree.  Every  one  raised  a  shout  when 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  191 

Annie  appeared ;  'she  was  undoubtedly  recognized 
as  queen  and  leader  of  the  proceedings.  She  took 
her  post  without  an  instant's  hesitation,  and  began 
ordering  her  willing  subjects  about. 

"  Now,  is  the  coast  clear  ?  yes,  I  think  so.  Come, 
Susie,  greedy  as  you  are,  you  must  take  your  part. 
You  alone  of  all  of  us  can  cackle  with  the  exact  imi- 
tation of  on  old  hen ;  get  behind  that  tree  at  once  and 
watch  the  yard.  Don't  forget  to  cackle  for  your 
life  if  you  even  see  the  shadow  of  a  footfall. 
Nora,  my  pretty  birdie,  you  must  be  the  thrush 
for  the  nonce  ;  here,  take  your  post,  watch  the  lawn 
and  the  front  avenue.  Now  then,  girls,  the  rest  of 
us  can  see  what  spoils  Betty  has  provided  for  us." 

The  basket  was  dragged  from  its  hiding-place, 
and  longing  faces  peered  eagerly  and  greedily  into 
its  contents. 

"  Oh,  oh  !  I  say,  cherries  !  and  what  a  lot !  Good 
Betty !  dear,  darling  Betty !  you  gathered  those 
from  your  own  trees,  and  they  are  as  ripe  as  your 
apple-blossom  cheeks  !  Now  then,  what  next  ?  I  do 
declare,  meringues !  Betty  knew  my  weakness. 
Twelve  meringues — that  is  one  and  a  half  apiece ; 
Susan  Drummond  sha'n't  have  more  than  her  share. 
Meringues  and  cheesecakes  and — tartlets — oh  !  oh  ! 
what  a  duck  Betty  is  !  A  plum-cake — good,  excellent 
Betty,  she  deserves  to  be  canonized  !  What  have  we 
here  ?  Roast  chickens — better  and  better  !  What  is 
in  this  parcel  ?  Slices  of  ham  ;  Betty  knew  she  dare 
not  show  her  face  again  if  she  forgot  the  ham. 
Knives  and  forks,  spoons — fresh  rolls — salt  and  pep- 


192  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

per,  and  a  dozen  bottles  of  ginger-beer,  and  a  little 
corkscrew  in  case  we  want  it." 

These  various  exclamations  came  from  many  lips. 
The  contents  of  the  basket  were  carefully  and  ten- 
derly replaced,  the  lid  was  fastened  down,  and  it 
was  once  more  consigned  to  its  hiding  place  under 
the  thick  boughs  of  the  laurel. 

Not  a  moment  too  soon,  for  just  at  this  instant 
Susan  cackled  fiercely,  and  the  little  group  with- 
drew, Annie  first  whispering  : 

"  At  twelve  to-night,  then,  girls — oh,  yes,  1  have 
managed  the  key." 


A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  193 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

TRUANTS. 

IT  WAS  a  proverbial  saying  in  the  school  that  Annie 
Forest  was  always  in  hot  water ;  she  was  exceed- 
ingly daring,  and  loved  what  she  called  a  spice  of 
danger.  This  was  not  the  first  stolen  picnic  at 
which  Annie  had  reigned  as  queen,  but  this  was  the 
largest  she  had  yet  organized,  and  this  was  the  first 
time  she  had  dared  to  go  out  of  doors  with  her 
satellites. 

Hitherto  these  naughty  sprites  had  been  content 
to  carry  their  baskets  full  of  artfully-concealed  pro- 
visions to  a  disused  attic  which  was  exactly  over 
the  box-room,  and  consequently  out  of  reach  of 
the  inhabited  part  of  the  house.  Here,  making  a 
table  of  a  great  chest  which  stood  in  the  attic, 
they  feasted  gloriously,  undisturbed  by  the  musty 
smell  or  by  the  innumerable  spiders  and  beetles 
which  disappeared  rapidly  in  all  directions  at  their 
approach  ;  but  when  Annie  one  day  incautiously 
suggested  that  on  summer  nights  the  outside 
world  was  all  at  their  disposal,  they  began  to  dis- 
cover flaws  in  their  banqueting  hall.  Mary  Price 
said  the  musty  smell  made  her  half  sick  ;  Phyllis  de- 
clared that  at  the  sight  of  a  spider  she  invariably 


194  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

turned  faint ;  and  Susan  Drummond  was  heard  to 
murmur  that  in  a  dusty,  fusty  attic  even  meringues 
scarcely  kept  her  awake.  The  girls  were  all  wild  to 
try  a  midnight  picnic  out  of  doors,  and  Annie  in  her 
present  mood,  was  only  too  eager  for  the  fun. 

With  her  usual  skill  she  organized  the  whole  un- 
dertaking, and  eight  agitated,  slightly  frightened, 
but  much  excited  girls  retired  to  their  rooms  that 
night.  Annie,  in  her  heart  of  hearts,  felt  rather  sorry 
that  Mrs.  Willis  should  happen  to  be  away ;  dim 
ideas  of  honor  and  trustworthiness  were  still  stirring 
in  her  breast,  but  she  dared  not  think  now. 

The  night  was  in  every  respect  propitous  ;  the 
moon  would  not  rise  until  after  twelve,  so  the  little 
party  could  get  away  under  the  friendly  shelter  of 
the  darkness,  and  soon  afterward  have  plenty  of 
light  to  enjoy  their  stolen  feast.  They  had  arranged 
1  to  make  no  movement  until  close  on  midnight,  and 
then  they  were  all  to  meet  in  a  passage  which  be- 
longed to  the  kitchen  regions,  and  where  there  was 
a  side  door  which  opened  directly  into  the  shrubbery. 
This  door  was  not  very  often  unlocked,  and  Annie 
had  taken  the  key  from  its  place  in  the  lock  some 
days  before.  She  went  to  bed  with  her  companions 
at  nine  o'clock  as  usual,  and  presently  fell  into  an 
uneasy  doze.  She  awoke  to  hear  the  great  clock  in 
the  hall  strike  eleven,  and  a  few  minutes  afterward 
she  heard  Miss  Danesbury's  footsteps  retiring  to  her 
room  at  the  other  end  of  the  passage. 

"  Danesbury  is  always  the  last  to  go  to  bed," 
whispered  Annie  to  herself ;  "  I  can  get  up  presently." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  195 

She  lay  for  another  twenty  minutes,  then,  softly 
rising,  began  to  put  on  her  clothes  in  the  dark.  Over 
her  dress  she  fastened  her  waterproof,  and  placed 
a  close-fitting  brown  velvet  cap  on  her  curly  head. 
Having  dressed  herself,  she  approached  Susan's  bed, 
with  the  intention  of  rousing  her. 

"  I  shall  have  fine  work  now,"  she  said,  "  and 
shall  probably  have  to  resort  to  cold  water.  Really, 
if  Susy  proves  too  hard  to  wake,  I  shall  let  her 
sleep  on — her  drowsiness  is  past  bearing." 

Annie,  however,  was  considerably  startled  when 
she  discovered  that  Miss  Drummond's  bed  was  with- 
out an  occupant. 

At  this  moment  the  room  door  was  very  softly 
opened,  and  Susan,  fully  dressed  and  in  her  water- 
proof, came  in. 

"  Why,  Susy,  where  have  you  been  ?"  exclaimed 
Annie.  "  Fancy  you  being  awake  a  moment  before 
it  is  necessary  !" 

"  For  once  in  a  way  I  was  restless,"  replied  Miss 
Drummond,  "  so  I  thought  I  would  get  up,  and  take 
a  turn  in  the  passage  outside.  The  house  is  perfectly 
quiet,  and  we  can  come  now ;  most  of  the  girls  are 
already  waiting  at  the  side  door." 

Holding  their  shoes  in  their  hands,  Annie  and 
Susan  went  noiselessly  down  the  carpetless  stairs, 
and  found  the  remaining  six  girls  waiting  for  them 
by  the  side  door.  . 

"  Rover  is  our  one  last  danger  now,"  said  Annie, 
as  she  fitted  the  well-oiled  key  into  the  lock.  "  Put  on 
your  shoes,  girls,  and  let  me  out  first ;  I  think  I  can 
manage  him. " 


196  A    WORLD  OP  GIRLS. 

She  was  alluding  to  a  great  mastiff  which  was 
usually  kept  chained  up  by  day.  Phyllis  and  Nora 
laid  their  hands  on  her  arm. 

"Oh,  Annie,  oh  love,  suppose  he  seizes  on  you, 
and  knocks  you  down — oh,  dare  you  venture  ?" 

"  Let  me  go,"  said  Annie  a  little  contemptuously  ; 
"  you  don't  suppose  I  am  afraid  ?" 

Her  fingers  trembled,  for  her  nerves  were  highly 
strung ;  but  she  managed  to  unlock  the  door  and 
draw  back  the  bolts,  and,  opening  it  softly,  she  went 
out  into  the  silent  night. 

Very  slight  as  the  noise  she  made  was,  it  had 
aroused  the  watchful  Rover,  who  trotted  around 
swiftly  to  know  what  was  the  matter.  But  Annie 
had  made  friends  with  Rover  long  ago,  by  stealing 
to  his  kennel  door  and  feeding  him,  and  she  had 
now  but  to  say  "  Rover  "  in  her  melodious  voice,  and 
throw  her  arms  around  his  neck,  to  completely  sub- 
vert his  morals. 

"  He  is  one  of  us,  girls,"  she  called  in  a  whisper  to 
her  companions  ;  "  come  out.  Rover  will  be  as 
naughty  as  the  rest  of  us,  and  go  with  us  as  our 
body-guard  to  the  fairies'  field.  Now,  I  will  lock 
the  door  on  the  outside,  and  we  can  be  off.  Ah,  the 
moon  is  getting  up  splendidly,  and  when  we  have 
secured  Betty's  basket,  we  shall  be  quite  out  of 
reach  of  danger." 

At  Annie's  words  of  encouragement  the  seven 
girls  ventured  out.  She  locked  the  door,  put  the 
key  into  her  pocket,  and,  holding  Rover  by  his 
collar,  led  the  way  in  the  direction  of  the  laurel- 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  197 

bush.  The  basket  was  secured,  and  Susan,  to  her 
disgust,  and  Mary  Morris  were  elected  for  the  first 
part  of  the  way  to  carry  it.  The  young1  truants 
then  walked  quickly  down  the  avenue  until  they 
came  to  a  turnstile  which  led  into  a  wood. 


198  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 
IN  THE  FAIRIES'  FIELD. 

THE  MOON  had  now  come  up  brilliantly,  and  the 
little  party  were  in  the  highest  possible  spirits. 
They  had  got  safely  away  from  the  house,  and 
there  was  now,  comparatively  speaking,  little  fear 
of  discovery.  The  more  timid  ones,  who  ventured 
to  confess  that  their  hearts  were  in  their  mouths 
while  Annie  was  unlocking  the  side  door,  now  be- 
came the  most  excited,  and  perhaps  the  boldest, 
under  the  reaction  which  set  in.  Even  the  wood, 
which  was  comparatively  dark,  with  only  patches 
of  moonlight  here  and  there,  and  queer  weird  sha- 
dows where  the  trees  were  thinnest,  could  not  affect 
their  spirits. 

The  poor  sleepy  rabbits  must  have  been  aston- 
ished that  night  at  the  shouts  of  the  revelers,  as 
they  hurried  past  them,  and  the  birds  must  have 
taken  their  sleepy  heads  from  under  their  downy 
wings,  and  wondered  if  the  morning  had  come  some 
hours  before  its  usual  time. 

More  than  one  solemn  old  owl  blinked  at  them, 
and  hooted  as  they  passed,  and  told  them  in  owl 
language  what  silly,  naughty  young  things  they 
were,  and  how  they  would  repent  of  this  dissipa- 
tion by-and-by.  But  if  the  girls  were  to  have  an 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

tour  of  remorse,  it  did  not  visit  them  then  ;  their 
hearts  were  like  feathers,  and  by  the  time  they 
reached  the  fields  where  the  fairies  were  supposed 
to  play,  their  spirits  had  become  almost  uncontrol- 
lable. 

Luckily  for  them  this  small  green  field  lay  in  a 
secluded  hollow,  and  more  luckily  for  them  no 
tramps  were  about  to  hear  their  merriment.  Ro- 
ver, who  constituted  himself  Annie's  protector,  now 
lay  down  by  her  side,  and  as  she  was  the  real  ring- 
leader  and  queen  of  the  occasion,  she  ordered  her 
subjects  about  pretty  sharply. 

"  Now,  girls,  quick  ;  open  the  basket.  Yes,  I'm 
going  to  rest.  I  have  organized  the  whole  thing, 
and  I'm  fairly  tired  ;  so  I'll  just  sit  quietly  here,  and 
Rover  will  take  care  of  me  while  you  set  things 
straight.  Ah  !  good  Betty  ,;  she  did  not  even  forget 
the  white  table-cloth." 

Here  one  of  the  girls  remarked  casually  that  the 
grass  was  wet  with  dew,  and  that  it  was  well  they 
had  all  put  on  their  waterproofs. 

Annie  interrupted  again  in  a  petulant  voice  : 

"  Don't  croak,  Mary  Morris.  Out  with  the  chick- 
ens, lay  the  ham  in  this  corner,  and  the  cherries 
will  make  a  picturesque  pile  in  the  middle.  Twelve 
meringues  in  all  ;  that  means  a  meringue  and  a  half 
each.  We  shall  have  some  difficulty  in  dividing. 
Oh,  dear !  oh,  dear !  how  hungry  I  am  !  I  was  far 
too  excited  to  eat  anything  at  supper-time." 

"  So  was  I,"  said  Phyllis,  coming  up  and  pressing 
dose  to  Annie.  "  I  do  think  Miss  Danesbury  cuts 


200  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

the  bread  and  butter  too  thick — don't  you,  Annie  ? 
I  could  not  eat  mine  at  all  to-night,  and  Cecil  Tem- 
ple asked  me  if  I  was  not  well." 

"  Those  who  don't  want  chicken  hold  up  their 
hands,"  here  interrupted  Annie,  who  had  tossed  her 
brown  cap  on  the  grass,  and  between  whose  brows 
a  faint  frown  had  passed  for  an  instant  at  the  men- 
tion of  Cecil's  name. 

The  feast  now  began  in  earnest  and  silence 
reigned  for  a  short  time,  broken  only  by  the  clatter 
of  plates  and  such  an  occasional  remark  as  "  Pass 
the  salt,  please,"  "  Pepper  this  way,  if  you've  no 
objection,"  "  How  good  chicken  tastes  in  fairy-land," 
etc.  At  last  the  ginger-beer  bottles  began  to  pop — 
the  girl's  first  hunger  was  appeased.  Rover  gladly 
crunched  up  all  the  bones,  and  conversation  flowed 
once  more,  accompanied  by  the  delicate  diversion  of 
taking  alternate  bites  at  meringues  and  cheesecakes. 

"I  wish  the  fairies  would  come  out,"  said  Annie. 

"  Oh,  don't !"  shivered  Phyllis,  looking  round  her 
nervously. 

"  Annie  darling,  do  tell  us  a  ghost  story,"  cried 
several  voices. 

Annie  laughed  and  commenced  a  series  of  non- 
sense tales,  all  of  a  slightly  eerie  character,  which 
she  made  up  on  the  spot. 

The  moon  riding  high  in  the  heavens  looked 
down  on  the  giddy  young  heads,  and  their  laughter, 
naughty  as  they  were,  sounded  sweet  in  the  night  air. 

Time  flew  quickly  and  the  girls  suddenly  dis- 
covered that  they  must  pack  up  their  table-cloth  and 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  201 

remove  all  traces  of  the  feast  unless  they  wished 
the  bright  light  of  morning  to  discover  them.  They 
rose  hastily,  sighing  and  slightly  depressed  now 
that  their  fun  was  over.  The  white  table-cloth,  no 
longer  very  white,  was  packed  into  the  basket,  the 
ginger-beer  bottles  placed  on  top  of  it  and  the  lid 
fastened  down.  Not  a  crumb  of  the  feast  remained ; 
Rover  had  demolished  the  bones  and  the  eight  girls 
had  made  short  work  of  everything  else,  with  the 
exception  of  the  cherry-stones,  which  Phyllis  care- 
fully collected  and  popped  into  a  little  hole  in  the 
ground. 

The  party  then  progressed  slowly  homeward  and 
once  more  entered  the  dark  wood.  They  were  much 
more  silent  now  ;  the  wood  was  darker,  and  the 
chill  which  foretells  the  dawn  was  making  itself  felt 
in  the  air.  Either  the  sense  of  cold  or  a  certain 
effect  produced  by  Annie's  ridiculous  stories,  made 
many  of  the  little  party  unduly  nervous. 

They  had  only  taken  a  few  steps  through  the 
wood  when  Phyllis  suddenly  uttered  a  piercing 
shriek.  This  shriek  was  echoed  by  Nora  and  by 
Mary  Morris,  and  all  their  hearts  seemed  to  leap 
into  their  mouths  when  they  saw  something  move 
among  the  trees.  Rover  uttered  a  growl,  and,  but 
for  Annie's  detaining  hand,  would  have  sprung  for- 
ward. The  high-spirited  girl  was  not  to  be  easily 
daunted. 

"  Behold,  girls,  the  goblin  of  the  woods,"  she  ex- 
claimed. "  Quiet,  Rover ;  stand  still." 

The  next  instant  the  fears  of    the  little    party 


•Zi£  A     WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

reached  their  culmination  when  a  tall,  dark  figure 
stood  directly  in  their  paths. 

"  If  you  don't  let  us  pass  at  once,"  said  Annie's 
voice,  "I'll  set  Rover  at  you." 

The  dog  began  to  bark  loudly  and  quivered  from 
head  to  foot. 

The  figure  moved  a  little  to  one  side,  and  a  rather 
deep  and  slightly  dramatic  voice  said  : 

"  I  mean  you  no  harm,  young  ladies ;  I'm  only  a 
gypsy-mother  from  the  tents  yonder.  You  are 
welcome  to  get  back  to  Lavender  House.  I  have 
then  one  course  plain  before  me." 

"Come  on,  girls,"  said  Annie,  now  considerably 
frightened,  while  Phyllis,  and  Nora,  and  one  or  two 
more  began  to  sob. 

"Look  here,  young  ladies,"  said  the  gypsy  in  a 
whining  voice,  "  I  don't  mean  you  no  harm,  my 
pretties,  and  it's  no  affair  of  mine  telling  the  good 
ladies  at  Lavender  House  what  I've  seen.  You 
cross  my  hand,  dears,  each  of  you,  with  a  bit  of 
silver,  and  all  I'll  do  is  to  tell  your  pretty  fortunes, 
and  mum  is  the  word  with  the  gypsy-mother  as  far 
as  this  night's  prank  is  concerned." 

"We  had  better  do  it,  Annie — we  had  better  do 
it,"  here  sobbed  Phyllis.  "  If  this  was  found  out  by 
Mrs.  Willis  we  might  be  expelled — we  might, 
indeed ;  and  that  horrid  woman  is  sure  to  tell  of 
us — I  know  she  is." 

"  Quite  sure  to  tell,  dear,"  said  the  tall  gypsy, 
dropping  a  courtesy  in  a  manner  which  looked  fright- 
fully sarcastic  in  the  long  shadows  made  by  the 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  203 

trees.  "  Quite  sure  to  tell,  and  to  be  expelled  is  the 
very  least  that  could  happen  to  such  naughty  little 
ladies.  Here's  a  nice  little  bit  of  clearing  in  the 
wood,  and  we'll  all  come  over,  and  Mother  Rachel 
will  tell  your  fortunes  in  a  twinkling,  and  no  one 
will  be  the  wiser.  Sixpence  apiece,  my  dears — 
only  sixpence  apiece." 

"Oh,  come;  do,  do  come,"  said  Nora,  and  the 
next  moment  they  were  all  standing  in  a  circle 
round  Mother  Rachel,  who  pocketed  her  blackmail 
eagerly,  and  repeated  some  gibberish  over  each 
little  hand.  Over  Annie's  palm  she  lingered  for  a 
brief  moment,  and  looked  with  her  penetrating  eyes 
into  the  girl's  face. 

"  You'll  have  suffering  before  you,  miss ;  some 
suspicion,  and  danger  even  to  life  itself.  But  you'll 
triumph,  my  dear,  you'll  triumph.  You're  a  plucky 
one,  and  you'll  do  a  brave  deed.  There — good- 
night, young  ladies  ;  you  have  nothing  more  to  fear 
from  Mother  Rachel." 

The  tall  dark  figure  disappeared  into  the  blackest 
shadows  of  the  wood,  and  the  girls,  now  like  so 
many  frightened  hares,  flew  home.  They  deposited 
their  basket  where  Betty  would  find  it,  under  the 
shadow  of  the  great  laurel  in  the  back  avenue. 
They  all  bade  Rover  an  affectionate  "  good-night." 
Annie  softly  unlocked  the  side-door,  and  one  by  one, 
with  their  shoes  in  their  hands,  they  regained  their 
bedrooms.  They  were  all  very  tired,  and  very  cold, 
and  a  dull  fear  and  sense  of  insecurity  rested  over 
each  little  heart.  Suppose  Mother  Rachel  proved 
unfaithful,  notwithstanding  the  sixpences? 


204  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
HESTER'S  FORGOTTEN  BOOK. 

IT  WANTED  scarcely  three  weeks  to  the  holidays, 
and  therefore  scarcely  three  weeks  to  that  auspi- 
cious day  when  Lavender  House  was  to  be  the  scene 
of  one  long  triumph,  and  was  to  be  the  happy  spot 
selected  for  a  midsummer  holiday,  accompanied  by 
all  that  could  make  a  holiday  perfect — for  youth 
and  health  would  be  there,  and  even  the  unsuccess- 
ful competitors  for  the  great  prizes  would  not  have 
too  sore  hearts,  for  they  would  know  that  on  the 
next  day  they  were  going  home.  Each  girl  who  had 
done  her  best  would  have  a  word  of  commendation, 
and  only  those  who  were  very  naughty,  or  very 
stubborn,  could  resist  the  all-potent  elixir  of  happi- 
ness which  would  be  poured  out  so  abundantly  for 
Mrs.  Willis'  pupils  on  this  day. 

Now  that  the  time  was  drawing  so  near,  those 
girls  who  were  working  for  prizes  found  them- 
selves fully  occupied  from  morning  to  night.  In 
play-hours  even,  girls  would  be  seen  with  their 
heads  bent  over  their  books,  and,  between  the  prizes 
and  the  acting,  no  little  bees  in  any  hive  could  be 
more  constantly  employed  than  were  these  young 
girls  just  now. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  205 

No  happiness  is,  after  all,  to  be  compared  to  the 
happiness  of  healthful  occupation.  Busy  people  have 
no  time  to  fret  and  no  time  to  grumble.  According 
to  our  old  friend,  Dr.  Watts,  people  who  are  healthily 
busy  have  also  no  time  to  be  naughty,  for  the  old 
doctor  says  that  it  is  for  idle  hands  that  mischief  is 
prepared. 

Be  that  as  it  may,  and  there  is  great  truth  in  it, 
some  naughty  sprites,  some  bad  fairies,  were  flitting 
around  and  about  that  apparently  peaceful  atmos- 
phere. That  sunny  home,  governed  by  all  that  was 
sweet  and  good,  was  not  without  its  serpent. 

Of  all  the  prizes  which  attracted  interest  and 
aroused  competition,  the  prize  for  English  compo- 
sition was  this  year  the  most  popular.  In  the  first 
place,  this  was  known  to  be  Mrs.  Willis'  own  favorite 
subject.  She  had  a  great  wish  that  her  girls  should 
write  intelligibly — she.  had  a  greater  wish  that,  if 
possible,  they  should  think. 

"  Never  was  there  so  much  written  and  printed," 
she  was  often  heard  to  say ;  "  but  can  any  one  show 
me  a  book  with  thoughts  in  it  ?  Can  any  one  show 
me,  unless  as  a  rare  exception,  a  book  which  will  live? 
Oh,  yes,  these  books  which  issue  from  the  press  in 
thousands  are,  many  of  them,  very  smart,  a  great 
many  of  them  clever,  but  they  are  thrown  off  too 
quickly.  All  great  things,  great  books  among  them, 
must  be  evolved  slowly." 

Then  she  would  tell  her  pupils  what  she  considered 
the  reason  of  this. 

"  In  these  days,"  she  would  say,  "  aH  girls    are 


206  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

what  is  called  highly  educated.  Girls  and  boys 
alike  must  go  in  for  competitive  examinations,  must 
take  out  diplomas,  and  must  pass  certain  standards  of 
excellence.  The  system  is  cramming  from  beginning 
to  end.  There  is  no  time  for  reflection.  In  short, 
my  dear  girls,  you  swallow  a  great  deal,  but  you  do 
not  digest  your  intellectual  food." 

Mrs.  Willis  hailed  with  pleasure  any  little  draw- 
ings of  real  thought  in  her  girls'  prize  essays.  More 
than  once  she  bestowed  the  prize  upon  the  essay 
which  seemed  to  the  girls  the  most  crude  and 
unfinished. 

"  Never  mind,"  she  would  say,  "here  is  an  idea — 
or  at  least  half  an  idea.  This  little  bit  of  composition 
is  original  and  not,  at  best,  a  poor  imitation  of  Sir 
Walter  Scott  or  Lord  Macaulay." 

Thus  the  girls  found  a  strong  stimulus  to  be 
their  real  selves  in  these  little  essays,  and  the  best 
of  them  chose  their  subject  and  let  it  ferment  in 
their  brains  without  the  aid  of  books,  except  for  the 
more  technical  parts.  C 

More  than  one  girl  in  the  school  was  surprised  at 
Dora  Russell  exerting  herself  to  try  for  the  prize 
essay.  She  was  just  about  to  close  her  school  career, 
and  they  could  not  make  out  why  she  roused  herself 
to  work  for  the  most  difficult  prize,  for  which  she 
would  have  to  compete  with  any  girl  in  the  school 
who  chose  to  make  a  similar  attempt. 

Dora,  however,  had  her  own,  not  very  high 
motive  for  making  the  attempt.  She  was  a 
thorotighly  accomplished  girl,  graceful  in  her 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  207 

appearance  and  manner ;  in  short,  just  the  sort  of 
girl  who  would  be  supposed  to  do  credit  to  a  school. 
She  played  with  finish,  and  even  delicacy  of  touch. 
There  was  certainly  no  soul  in  her  music,  but  neither 
were  there  any  wrong  notes.  Her  drawings  were 
equally  correct,  her  perspective  good,  her  trees  were 
real  trees,  and  the  coloring  of  her  water-color 
sketches  was  pure.  She  spoke  French  extremely 
well,  and  with  a  correct  accent,  and  her  German 
also  was  above  the  average.  Nevertheless,  Dora 
was  commonplace,  and  those  girls  who  knew  her 
best  spoke  sarcastically,  and  smiled  at  one  another 
when  she  alluded  to  her  prize  essay,  and  seemecf 
confident  of  being  the  successful  competitor. 

"  You  won't  like  to  be  beaten,  Dora,  say,  by 
Annie  Forest,"  they  would  laughingly  remark ; 
whereupon  Dora's  calm  face  would  slightly  flush 
and  her  lips  would  assume  a  very  proud  curve.  If 
there  was  one  thing  she  could  not  bear  it  was  to  be 
beaten. 

"  Why  do  you  try  for  it,  Dora  ?"  her  class-fellows 
would  ask  ;  but  here  Dora  made  no  reply :  she  kept 
her  reason  to  herself. 

The  fact  was,  Dora,  who  must  be  a  copyist  to  the 
end  of  the  chapter,  and  who  could  never  to  her  lat- 
est day  do  anything  original,  had  determined  to  try 
for  the  composition  prize  because  she  happened 
accidentally  to  hear  a  conversation  between  Mrs. 
Willis  and  Miss  Danesbury,  in  which  something 
was  said  about  a  gold  locket  with  Mrs.  Willis' 
portrait  inside. 


208  A    WORLD  OP  GIRLS. 

Dora  instantly  jumped  at  the  conclusion  that  this 
was  to  be  the  great  prize  bestowed  upon  the  success- 
ful essayist.  Delightful  idea  ;  how  well  the  trinket 
would  look  round  her  smooth  white  throat !  In- 
stantly she  determined  to  try  for  this  prize,  and  of 
course  as  instantly  the  bare  idea  of  defeat  became 
intolerable  to  her.  She  went  steadily  and  methodi- 
cally to  work.  With  extreme  care  she  chose  her 
subject.  Knowing  something  of  Mrs.  Willis'  pecu- 
liarities, she  determined  that  her  theme  should  not 
be  historical ;  she  believed  that  she  could  express 
herself  freely  and  with  power  if  only  she  could 
secure  an  unhackneyed  subject.  Suddenly  an  idea 
which  she  considered  brilliant  occured  to  her.  She 
would  call  her  composition  "The  River."  This 
should  not  bear  reference  to  Father  Thames,  or  any 
other  special  river  of  England,  but  it  should  trace 
the  windings  of  some  fabled  stream  of  Dora's 
imagination,  which,  as  it  flowed  along,  should  tell 
something  of  the  story  of  the  many  places  by  which 
it  passed.  Dora  was  charmed  with  her  own 
thought,  and  worked  hard,  evening  after  evening,  at 
her  subject,  covering  sheets  of  manuscript  paper 
with  penciled  jottings,  and  arranging  and  rearrang- 
ing her  somewhat  confused  thoughts.  She  greatly 
admired  a  perfectly  rounded  period,  and  she  was 
most  particular  as  to  the  style  in  which  she  wrote. 
For  the  purpose  of  improving  her  style  she  even 
studied  old  volumes  of  Addison's  Spectator;  but 
after  a  time  she  gave  up  this  course  of  study,  for  she 
found  it  so  difficult  to  mold  her  English  to  Addi- 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  209 

son's  that  she  came  to  the  comfortable  conclusion 
that  Addison  was  decidedly  obsolete,  and  that  if  she 
wished  to  do  full  justice  to  "  The  River  "  she  must 
trust  to  her  own  unaided  genius. 

At  last  the  first  ten  pages  were  written.  The 
subject  was  entered  upon  with  considerable  flourishes, 
and  some  rather  apt  poetical  quotations  from  a  book 
containing  a  collection  of  poems ;  the  river  itself  had 
already  left  its  home  in  the  mountain,  and  was 
careering  merrily  past  sunny  meadows  and  little 
rural,  impossible  cottages,  where  the  golden-haired 
children  played. 

Dora  made  a  very  neat  copy  of  her  essay  so  far. 
She  now  began  to  see  her  way  clearly — there  would 
be  a  very  powerful  passage  as  the  river  approached 
the  murky  town.  Here,  indeed,  would  be  room  for 
powerful  and  pathetic  writing.  She  wondered  if 
she  might  venture  so  far  as  to  hide  a  suicide  in  her 
rushing  waters ;  and  then  at  last  the  brawling  river 
would  lose  itself  in  the  sea ;  and,  of  course,  there 
would  not  be  the  smallest  connection  between  her 
river,  and  Kingsley's  well-known  song, 

"Clear  and  cool." 

She  finished  writing  her  ten  pages,  and  being  now 
positively  certain  of  her  gold  locket,  went  to  bed  in 
a  happy  state  of  mind. 

This  was  the  very  night  when  Annie  was  to  lead 
her  revelers  through  the  dark  wood,  but  Dora,  who 
never  troubled  herself  about  the  younger  classes, 
would  have  been  certainly  the  last  to  notice  the  fact 


210  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

that  a  few  of  the  girls  in  Lavender  House  seemed 
little  disposed  to  eat  their  suppers  of  thick  bread 
and  butter  and  milk.  She  went  to  bed  and  dreamed 
happy  dreams  about  her  golden  locket,  and  had 
little  idea  that  any  mischief  was  about  to  be  performed. 

Hester  Thornton  also,  but  in  a  very  different 
spirit;  was  working  hard  at  her  essay.  Hester  worked 
conscientiously ;  she  had  chosen  "  Marie  Antoi- 
nette" as  her  theme,  and  she  read  the  sorrowful 
story  of  the  beautiful  queen  with  intense  interest, 
and  tried  hard  to  get  herself  into  the  spirit  of  the 
times  about  which  she  must  write.  She  had  scarcely 
begun  her  essay  yet,  but  she  had  already  collected 
most  of  the  historical  facts. 

Hester  was  a  very  careful  little  student,  and  as 
she  prepared  herself  for  the  great  work,  she  thought 
little  or  nothing  about  the  prize — she  only  wanted  to 
do  justice  to  the  unfortunate  queen  of  France.  She 
was  in  bed  that  night,  and  just  dropping  off  to  sleep, 
when  she  suddenly  remembered  that  she  had  left  a 
volume  of  French  poetry  on  her  school  desk.  This 
was  against  the  rules,  and  she  knew  that  Miss  Danes- 
bury  would  confiscate  the  book  in  the  morning,  and 
would  not  let  her  have  it  back  for  a  week.  Hester 
particularly  wanted  this  special  book  just  now,  as 
some  of  the  verses  bore  reference  to  her  subject,  and 
she  could  scarcely  get  on  with  her  essay  without 
having  it  to  refer  to.  She  must  lose  no  time  in 
instantly  beginning  to  write  her  essay,  and  to  do 
without  her  book  of  poetry  for  a  week  would  be  a 
serious  injury  to  her. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  211 

She  resolved,  therefore,  to  break  through  one  of 
the  rules,  and,  after  lying  awake  until  the  whole 
house  was  quiet,  to  slip  down  stairs,  enter  the  school- 
room and  secure  her  poems.  She  heard  the  clock 
strike  eleven,  and  she  knew  that  in  a  very  few 
moments  Miss  Danesbury  and  Miss  Good  would 
have  retired  to  their  rooms.  Ah,  yes,  that  was 
Miss  Danesbury's  step  passing  her  door.  Ten  min- 
utes later  she  glided  out  of  bed,  slipped  on  her  dress- 
ing-gown, and  opening  her  door  ran  swiftly  down 
the  carpetless  stairs,  and  found  herself  in  the  great 
stone  hall  which  led  to  the  schoolroom. 

She  was  surprised  to  find  the  schoolroom  door  a 
little  ajar,  but  she  entered  the  room  without  hesita- 
tion, and,  dark  as  it  was,  soon  found  her  desk,  and 
the  book  of  poems  lying  on  the  top.  Hester  was 
about  to  return  when  she  was  startled  by  a  little 
noise  in  that  portion  of  the  room  where  the  first 
class  girls  sat.  The  next  moment  somebody  came 
heavily  and  rather  clumsily  down  the  room,  and  the 
moon,  which  was  just  beginning  to  rise,  fell  for  an 
instant  on  a  girl's  face.  Hester  recognized  the  face 
of  Susan  Drummond.  What  could  she  be  doing 
here  ?  She  did  not  dare  to  speak,  for  she  herself 
had  broken  a  rule  in  visiting  the  schoolroom.  She 
remained,  therefore,  perfectly  still  until  Susan's  steps 
died  away,  and  then,  thankful  to  have  secured  her 
own  property,  returned  to  her  bedroom,  and  a  mo- 
ment or  two  later  was  sound  asleep. 


213  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

"A     MUDDY     STREAM. 

IN  THE  morning  Dora  Russell  sat  down  as  usual 
before  her  orderly  and  neatly-kept  desk.  She 
raised  the  lid  to  firid  everything  in  its  place — her 
books  and  exercises  all  as  they  should  be,  and  her 
pet  essay  in  a  neat  brown  paper  cover,  lying  just  as 
she  had  left  it  the  night  before.  She  was  really  get- 
ting quite  excited  about  her  river,  and  as  this  was  a 
half-holiday,  she  determined  to  have  a  good  work  at 
it  in  the  afternoon.  She  was  beginning  also  to  ex- 
perience that  longing  for  an  auditor  which  occasion- 
ally is  known  to  trouble  the  breasts  of  genius.  She 
felt  that  those  graceful  ideas,  that  elegant  language, 
those  measured  periods,  might  strike  happily  on 
some  other  ears  before  they  were  read  aloud  as  the 
great  work  of  the  midsummer  holidays. 

She  knew  that  Hester  Thornton  was  making  what 
she  was  pleased  to  term  a  poor  little  attempt  at  try- 
ing for  the  same  prize.  Hester  would  scarcely  ven- 
ture to  copy  anything  from  Dora's  essay ;  she  would 
probably  be  discouraged,  poor  girl,  in  working  any 
longer  at  her  own  composition  ;  but  Dora  felt  that 
the  temptation  to  read  "  The  River,"  as  far  as  it  had 
gone,  to  Hester  was  really  too  great  to  be  resisted 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  213 

Accordingly,  after  dinner  she  graciously  invited 
Hester  to  accompany  her  to  a  bower  in  the  garden, 
where  the  two  friends  might  revel  over  the  results 
of  Dora's  extraordinary  talents. 

Hester  was  still,  to  a  certain  extent,  tinder  Dora's 
influence,  and  had  not  the  courage  to  tell  her  that 
she  intended  to  be  very  busy  over  her  own  essay 
this  afternoon. 

"  Now,  Hester,  dear,"  said  Dora,  when  they  found 
themselves  both  seated  in  the  bower,  "  you  are  the 
only  girl  in  the  school  to  whom  I  could  confide  the 
subject  of  my  great  essay.  I  really  believe  that  I 
have  hit  on  something  absolutely  original.  My  dear 
child,  I  hope  you  won't  allow  yourself  to  be  dis- 
couraged. I  fear  that  you  won't  have  much  heart 
to  go  on  with  your  theme  after  you  have  read  my 
words ;  but,  never  mind,  dear,  it  will  be  good  prac- 
tice for  you,  and  you  know  it  was  rather  silly  to  go 
in  for  a  prize  which  I  intended  to  compete  for." 

"May  I  read  your  essay,  please,  Dora?"  asked 
Hester.  "I  am  very  much  interested  in  my  own 
study,  and,  whether  I  win  the  prize  or  not,  I  shall 
always  remember  the  pleasure  I  took  in  writing  it." 

"What  subject  did  you  select,  dear?"  inquired 
Miss  Russell. 

"  Well,  I  am  attempting  a  little  sketch  of  Marie 
Antoinette." 

"Ah,  hackneyed,  my  dear  girl — terribly  hack- 
neyed ;  but,  of  course,  I  don't  mean  to  discourage 
you.  Now  I—I  draw  a  life-picture,  and  I  call  it 
'The  River.'  See  how  it  begins — why,  I  declare  I 


214  A    WORLD  OF  uJRLS. 

know  the  words  by  heart,  'As  our  eyes' rest  on  this 
clear  and  limpid  stream,  as  we  see  the  sun  sparkle 

'  My  dear  Hester,  you  shall  read  me  my  essay 

aloud.  I  shall  like  to  hear  my  own  words  from 
your  lips,  and  you  have  really  a  pretty  accent, 
dear." 

Hester  folded  back  the  brown  paper  cover,  and 
wanting  to  have  her  task  over  began  to  read  hastily. 
But,  as  her  eyes  rested  on  the  first  lines,  she  turned 
to  her  companion,  and  said  : 

"  Did  you  not  tell  me  that  your  essay  was  called 
'  The  River'  ?" 

"  Yes,  dear ;  the  full  title  is  '  The  Windings  of  a 
Noble  River.' " 

"  That's  very  odd,"  replied  Hester.  "  What  I  see 
here  is  '  The  Meanderings  of  a  Muddy  Stream.'  '  As 
our  dull  orbs  rtst  on  this  turbid  water  on  which 
the  sun  cannot  possibly  shine.1  Why,  Dora,  this  can- 
not be  your  essay,  and  yet,  surely,  it  is  your  hand- 
writing." 

Dora,  with  her  face  suddenly  flushing  a  vivid 
crimson,  snatched  the  manuscript  from  Hester's 
hand,  and  looked  over  it  eagerly.  Alas !  there  was 
no  doubt.  The  title  of  this  essay  was  "  The  Mean- 
derings of  a  Muddy  Stream,"  and  the  words  which 
immediately  followed  were  a  smart  and  ridiculous 
parody  on  her  own  high  flown  sentences.  The  re- 
semblance to  her  handwriting  was  perfect.  The 
brown  paper  cover,  neatly  sewn  on  to  protect  the 
white  manuscript,  was  undoubtedly  her  cover ;  the 
very  paper  on  which  the  words  were  written  seemed 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  215 

in  all  particulars  the  same.  Dora  turned  the  sheets 
eagerly,  and  here  for  the  first  time  she  saw  a  differ- 
ence. Only  four  or  five  pages  of  the  nonsense 
essay  had  been  attempted,  and  the  night  before, 
when  finishing  her  toil,  she  had  proudly  numbered 
her  tenth  page.  She  looked  through  the  whole 
thing,  turning  leaf  after  leaf,  while  her  cheeks  were 
crimson,  and  her  hands  trembled.  In  the  first  mo- 
ment of  horrible  humiliation  and  dismay  she  liter- 
ally could  not  speak. 

At  last,  springing  to  her  feet,  and  confronting 
the  astonished  and  almost  frightened  Hester,  she 
found  her  voice. 

"  Hester,  you  must  help  me  in  this.  The  most 
dreadful,  the  most  atrocious  fraud  has  been  com- 
mitted. Some  one  has  been  base  enough,  audacious 
enough,  wicked  enough,  to  go  to  my  desk  privately, 
and  take  away  my  real  essay — my  work  over  which 
I  have  labored  and  toiled.  The  expressions  of  my 
— my — yes,  I  will  say  it — my  genius,  have  been  ruth- 
lessly burned,  or  otherwise  made  away  with,  and 
this  thing  has  been  put  in  their  place.  Hester, 
why  don't  you  speak — why  do  you  stare  at  me  like 
this  ?" 

"  I  am  puzzled  by  the  writing,"  said  Hester ;  "  the 
writing  is  yours." 

"  The  writing  is  mine  ! — oh,  you  wicked  girl ! 
The  writing  is  an  imitation  of  mine — a  feeble  and 
poor  imitation.  I  thought,  Hester,  that  by  this  time 
you  '  knew  your  friend's  handwriting.  I  thought 
that  one  in  whom  I  have  confided — one  whom  I 


216  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

have  stooped  to  notice  because  I  fancied  we  had  a 
community  of  soul,  would  not  be  so  ridiculous  and 
so  silly  as  to  mistake  this  writing  for  mine.  Look 
again,  please,  Hester  Thornton,  and  tell  me  if  I  am 
ever  so  vulgar  as  to  cross  my  fs.  You  know  I 
always  loop  them ;  and  do  I  make  a  capital  B  in 
this  fashion  ?  And  do  I  indulge  in  flourishes  ?  I 
grant  you  that  the  general  effect  to  a  casual  ob- 
server would  be  something  the  same,  but  you,  Hes- 
ter— I  thought  you  knew  me  better." 

Here  Hester,  examining  the  false  essay,  had  to 
confess  that  the  crossed  fs  and  the  flourishes  were 
unlike  Miss  Russell's  calligraphy. 

"It is  a  forgery,  most  cleverly  done,"  said  Dora. 
"  There  is  such  a  thing,  Hester,  as  being  wickedly 
clever.  This  spiteful,  cruel  attempt  to  injure  an- 
other can  have  but  proceeded  from  one  very  low 
order  of  mind.  Hester,  there  has  been  plenty  of 
favoritism  in  this  school,  but  do  you  suppose  I  shall 
allow  such  a  thing  as  this  to  pass  over  unsearched 
into  ?  If  necessary,  I  shall  ask  my  father  to  inter- 
fere. This  is  a  slight — an  outrage ;  but  the  whole 
mystery  shall  at'  last  be  cleared  up.  Miss  Good  and 
Miss  Danesbury  shall  be  informed  at  once,  and  the 
very  instant  Mrs.  Willis  returns  she  shall  be  told 
what  a  serpent  she  has  been  nursing  in  this  false 
wicked  girl,  Annie  Forest." 

"  Stop,  Dora,"  said  Hester  suddenly.  She  sprang 
to  her  feet,  clasping  her  hands,  and  her  color  varied 
rapidly  from  white  to  red.  A  sudden  light  poured 
in  upon  her,  and  she  was  about  to  speak  when  some^ 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  217 

thing — quite  a  small,  trivial  thing — occurred.  She 
only  saw  little  Nan  in  the  distance  flying  swiftly, 
with  outstretched  arms,  to  meet  a  girl,  whose  knees 
she  clasped  in  baby  ecstasy.  The  girl  stooped  down 
and  kissed  the  little  face,  and  the  round  arms  were 
flung  around  her  neck.  The  next  instant  Annie 
Forest  continued  her  walk  alone,  and  Nan,  looking 
wistfully  back  after  her,  went  in  another  direction 
with  her  nurse.  The  whole  scene  took  but  a 
moment  to  enact,  but  as  she  watched,  Hester's  face 
grew  hard  and  white.  She  sat  down  again,  with 
her  lips  firmly  pressed  together. 

"  What  is  it,  Hester  ?"  exclaimed  Dora.  "  What 
were  you  going  to  say  ?  You  surely  know  nothing 
about  this  ?" 

"  Well,  Dora,  I  am  not  the  guilty  person.  I  was 
only  going  to  remark  that  you  cannot  be  sure  it  is 
Annie  Forest." 

"  Oh,  so  you  are  going  to  take  that  horrid  girl's 
part  now  ?  I  wonder  at  you  !  She  all  but  killed 
your  little  sister,  and  then  stole  her  love  away  from 
you.  Did  you  see  the  little  thing  now,  how  she 
flew  to  her  ?  Why,  she  never  kisses  you  like  that." 

"  I  know — I  know,"  said  Hester,  and  she  turned 
away  her  face  with  a  groan,  and  leaned  forward 
against  the  rustic  bench,  pressing  her  hot  forehead 
down  on  her  hands. 

"  You'll  have  your  triumph,  Hester,  when  Miss 
Forest  is  publicly  expelled,"  said  Dora,  tapping  her 
lightly  on  the  shoulder,  and  then,  taking  up  the 
forged  essay,  she  went  slowly  out  of  the  garden. 


218  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 

GOOD     AND     BAD    ANGELS. 

HESTER  stayed  behind  in  the  shady  little  arbor,  and 
then,  on  that  soft  spring  day,  while  the  birds  sang 
overhead,  and  the  warm  light  breezes  came  in  and 
fanned  her  hot  cheeks,  good  angels  and  bad  drew 
near  to  fight  for  a  victory.  Which  would  conquer  ? 
Hester  had  many  faults,  but  hitherto  she  had  been 
honorable  and  truthful  ;  her  sins  had  been  those  of 
pride  and  jealousy,  but  she  had  never  told  a  false- 
hood in  her  life.  She  knew  perfectly — she  trembled 
as  the  full  knowledge  overpowered  her — that  she 
had  it  in  her  power  to  exonerate  Annie.  She  could 
not  in  the  least  imagine  how  stupid  Susan  Drum- 
mond  could  contrive  and  carry  out  such  a  clever 
and  deep-laid  plot ;  but  she  knew  also  that  if  she 
related  what  she  had  seen  with  her  own  eyes  the 
night  before,  she  would  probably  give  such  a  clue  to 
the  apparent  mystery  that  the  truth  would  come  to 
light. 

If  Annie  was  cleared  from  this  accusation,  doubt- 
less the  old  story  of  her  supposed  guilt  with  regard 
to  Mrs.  Willis'  caricature  would  also  be  read  with 
its  right  key.  Hester  was  a  clever  and  sharp  girl ; 
and  the  fact  of  seeing  Susan  Drummond  in  the 
schoolroom  in  the  dead  of  night  opened  her  eyes 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  219 

also  to  one  or  two  other  apparent  little  mysteries. 
While  Susan  was  her  own  room-mate  she  had  often, 
given  a  passing  wonder  to  the  fact  of  her  extraordi- 
nary desire  to  overcome  her  sleepiness,  and  had 
laughed  over  the  expedients  Susan  had  used  to  wake 
at  all  moments. 

These  things,  at  the  time,  had  scarcely  given  her 
a  moment's  serious  reflection  ;  but  now  she  pondered 
them  care'fully,  and  became  more  and  more  certain 
that,  for  some  inexplicable  and  unfathomable  reason 
sleepy,  and  apparently  innocent,  Susan  Drummond 
wished  to  sow  the  seeds  of  mischief  and  disorder  in 
the  school.  Hester  was  sure  that  if  she  chose  to 
speak  now  she  could  clear  poor  Annie,  and  restore 
her  to  her  lost  place  in  Mrs.  Willis'  favor. 

Should  she  do  so  ?  ah  !  should  she  ?  Her  lips 
trembled,  her  color  came  and  went  as  the  angels,, 
good  and  bad,  fought  hard  for  victory  within  her. 
How  she  had  longed  to  revenge  herself  on  Annie  I 
How  cordially  she  had  hated  her  !  Now  was  the 
moment  of  her  revenge.  She  had  but  to  remain 
silent  now,  and  to  let  matters  take  their  course  ;  she 
had  but  to  hold  her  tongue  about  the  little  incident 
of  last  night,  and,  without  any  doubt,  circumstan- 
tial evidence  would  point  at  Annie  Forest,  and  she 
would  be  expelled  from  the  school.  Mrs.  Willis 
must  condemn  her  now.  Mr.  Everard  must  pro- 
nounce her  guilty  now.  She  would  go,  and  when 
the  coast  was  again  clear  the  love  which  she  had 
taken  from  Hester — the  precious  love  of  Hester's 
only  little  sister — would  return. 


220  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  You  will  be  miserable  ;  you  will  be  miserable," 
whispered  the  good  angels  sorrowfully  in  her  ear ; 
but  she  did  not  listen  to  them. 

"I  said  I  would  revenge  myself,  and  this  is  my 
opportunity,"  she  murmured.  "  Silence — just  sim- 
ple silence — will  be  my  revenge." 

Then  the  good  angels  went  sorrowfully  back  to 
their  Father  in  Heaven,  and  the  wicked  angels  re- 
joiced. Hester  had  fallen  very  low. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  221 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

FRESH    SUSPICIONS. 

MRS.  WILLIS  was  not  at  home  many  hours  before 
Dora  Russell  begged  for  an  interview  with  her. 
Annie  had  not  as  yet  heard  anything  of  the  changed 
essay;  for  Dora  had  resolved  to  keep  the  thing  a 
secret  until  Mrs.  Willis  herself  took  the  matter  in 
hand. 

Annie  was  feeling  not  a  little  anxious  and  de- 
pressed. She  was  sorry  now  that  she  had  led  the 
girls  that  wild  escapade  through  the  wood.  Phyllis 
and  Nora  were  both  suffering  from  heavy  colds  in 
consequence,  and  Susan  Drummond  was  looking  more 
pasty  about  her  complexion,  and  was  more  dismally 
sleepy  than  usual.  Annie  was  going  through  her 
usual  season  of  intense  remorse  after  one  of  her  wild 
pranks.  No  one  repented  with  more  apparent  fervor 
than  she  did,  and  yet  no  one  so  easily  succumbed  to 
the  next  temptation.  Had  Annie  been  alone  in  the 
matter  she  would  have  gone  straight  to  Mrs.  Willis 
and  confessed  all ;  but  she  could  not  do  this  without 
implicating  her  companions,  who  would  have 
screamed  with  horror  at  the  very  suggestion. 

All  the  girls  were  more  or  less  depressed  by  the 
knowledge  that  the  gypsy  woman,  Mother  Rachel, 


222  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

shared  their  secret;  and  they  often  whispered  to- 
gether as  to  the  chances  of  her  betraying-  them.  Old 
Betty  they  could  trust ;  for  Betty,  the  cake-woman, 
had  been  an  arch-conspirator  with  the  naughty  girls 
cf  Lavender  House  from  time  immemorial.  Betty 
had  always  managed  to  provide  their  stolen  suppers 
for  them,  and  had  been  most  accommodating  in  the 
matter  of  pay.  Yes,  with  Betty  they  felt  they  were 
safe ;  but  Mother  Rachel  was  a  different  person. 
She  might  like  to  be  paid  a  few  more  sixpences  for 
her  silence ;  she  might  hover  about  the  grounds ; 
she  mignt  be  noticed.  At  any  moment  she  might 
boldly  demand  an  interview  with  Mrs.  Willis. 

"  I'm  awfully  afraid  of  Mother  Rachel,"  Phyllis 
moaned,  as  she  shivered  under  the  influence  of  her 
bad  cold. 

Nora  said  "  I  should  faint  if  I  saw  her  again,  I 
know  I  should ;"  while  the  other  girls  always  went 
out  provided  with  stray  sixpences,  in  case  the  gypsy 
mother  should  start  up  from  some  unexpected  quarter 
and  demand  blackmail. 

On  the  day  of  Mrs.  Willis'  return,  Annie  was 
pacing  up  and  down  the  shady  walk,  and  indulging 
in  some  rather  melancholy  and  regretful  thoughts, 
when  Susan  Drummond  and  Mary  Morris  rushed  up 
to  her,  white  with  terror. 

"  She's  down  there  by  the  copse,  and  she's  beckon- 
ing to  us  !  Oh,  do  come  with  us — do,  darling,  dear 
Annie." 

"There's  no  use  in  it,"  replied  Annie  ;  " Mother 
Rachel  wants  money,  and  I  am  not  going  to  give 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  223 

her  any.  Don't  be  afraid  of  her,  girls,  and  don't 
give  her  money.  After  all,  why  should  she  tell  on 
us  ?  she  would  gain  nothing  by  doing  so." 

"  Oh,  yes,  she  would,  Annie — she  would,  Annie," 
said  Mary  Morris,  beginning  to  sob ;  "  oh,  do  come 
with  us,  do !  We  must  pacify  her,  we  really  must." 

"  I  can't  come  now,"  said  Annie ;  "  hark  !  some 
one  is  calling  me.  Yes,  Miss  Danesbury — what  is  it?" 

"  Mrs.  Willis  wishes  to  see  you  at  once,  Annie,  in 
her  private  sitting-room,"  replied  Miss  Danesbtiry  ; 
and  Annie,  wondering  not  a  little,  but  quite  un- 
suspicious, ran  off. 

The  fact,  however,  of  her  having  deliberately  dis- 
obeyed Mrs.  Willis,  and  done  something  which  she 
knew  would  greatly  pain  her,  brought  a  shade  of 
embarrassment  to  her  usually  candid  face.  She  had 
also  to  confess  to  herself  that  she  did  not  feel  quite 
so  comfortable  about  Mother  Rachel  as  she  had 
given  Mary  Morris  and  Susan  Drummond  to  under- 
stand. Her  steps  lagged  more  and  more  as  she 
approached  the  house,  and  she  wished,  oh,  how 
longingly !  oh,  how  regretfully !  that  she  had  not 
been  naughty  and  wild  and  disobedient  in  her  be- 
loved teacher's  absence. 

"  But  where  is  the  use  of  regretting  what  is 
done  ?"  she  said,  half  aloud.  "  I  know  I  can  never 
be  good — never,  never  !" 

She  pushed  aside  the  heavy  velvet  curtains  which 
shaded  the  door  of  the  private  sitting-room,  and 
went  in,  to  find  Mrs.  Willis  seated  by  her  desk,  ve:ry 
pale  and  tired  and  unhappy  looking,  while  Dora 


224  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Russell,  with  crimson  spots  on  her  cheeks  and  a  very 
angry  glitter  in  her  eyes,  stood  by  the  mantel-piece. 

"  Come  here,  Annie  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Willis  in  her 
usual  gentle  and  affectionate  tone. 

Annie's  first  wild  impulse  was  to  rush  to  her 
governess'  side,  to  fling  her  arms  round  her  neck, 
and,  as  a  child  would  confess  to  her  mother,  to  tell 
her  all  that  story  of  the  walk  through  the  wood,  and 
the  stolen  picnic  in  the  fairies'  field.  Three  things, 
however,  restrained  her — she  must  not  relieve  her 
own  troubles  at  the  expense  of  betraying  others; 
she  could  not,  even  if  she  were  willing,  say  a  word 
in  the  presence  of  this  cold  and  angry-looking  Dora  ; 
in  the  third  place,  Mrs.  Willis  looked  very  tired  and 
very  sad.  Not  for  words  would  she  add  to  her 
troubles  at  this  instant.  She  came  into  the  room, 
however,  with  a  slight  hesitation  of  manner  and  a 
clouded  brow,  which  caused  Mrs.  Willis  to  watch 
her  with  anxiety  and  Dora  with  triumph. 

"  Come  here,  Annie,"  repeated  the  governess.  "  I 
want  to  speak  to  you.  Something  very  dishonorable 
and  disgraceful  has  been  done  in  my  absence." 

Annie's  face  suddenly  became  as  white  as  a  sheet. 
Could  the  gypsy  mother  hav«  already  betrayed  them 
all? 

Mrs.  Willis,  noticing  her  too  evident  confusion, 
continued  in  a  voice  which,  in  spite  of  herself,  be- 
came stern  and  severe. 

"  I  shall  expect  the  truth  at  any  cost,  my  dear. 
Look  at  this  manuscript-book.  Do  you  know  any- 
thing of  the  handwriting  ?" 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Why,  it  is  yours,  of  course,  Dora,"  said  Annier 
who  was  now  absolutely  bewildered. 

"  It  is  not  mine,"  began  Dora,  but  Mrs.  Willis 
held  up  her  hand. 

"Allow  me  to  speak,  Miss  Russell.  I  can  best 
explain  matters.  Annie,  during  my  absence  some 
one  has  been  guilty  of  a  very  base  and  wicked  act. 
One  of  the  girls  in  this  school  has  gone  secretly  to 
Dora  Russell's  desk  and  taken  away  ten  pages  of  an 
essay  which  she  had  called  'The  River,'  and  which 
she  was  preparing  for  the  prize  competition  next 
month.  Instead  of  Dora's  essay  this  that  you  now 
see  was  put  in  its  place.  Examine  it,  my  dear. 
Can  you  tell  me  anything  about  it  ?" 

Annie  took  the  manuscript-book  and  turned  the 
leaves. 

"Is  it  meant  for  a  parody?"  she  asked,  after  a 
pause  ;  "  it  sounds  ridiculous.  No,  Mrs.  Willis,  I 
know  nothing  whatever  about  it ;  some  one  has 
imitated  Dora's  handwriting.  I  cannot  imagine 
who  is  the  culprit." 

She  threw  the  manuscript-book  with  a  certain 
easy  carelessness  on  the  table  by  her  side,  and 
glanced  up  with  a  twinkle  of  mirth  in  her  eyes  at 
Dora. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  meant  for  a  clever  parody,"  she 
repeated  ;  "  at  least  it  is  amusing." 

Her  manner  displeased  Mrs.  Willis,  and  very 
nearly  maddened  poor  Dor 

"  We  have  not  sent  for  you,  Annie,"  said  her 
teacher,  "  to  ask  you  your  opinion  of  the  parody, 


220  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

but  to  try  and  get  you  to  throw  light  on  the  sub- 
ject. We  must  find  out,  and  at  once,  who  has  been 
so  wicked  as  to  deliberately  injure  another  girl." 

"But  why  have  you  sent  for  me?"  asked  Annie, 
drawing  herself  up,  and  speaking  with  a  little  shade 
of  haughtiness. 

"  Because,"  said  Dora  Russell,  who  could  no 
longer  contain  her  outraged  feelings,  "  because  you 
alone  can  throw  light  on  it — because  you  alone  in 
the  school  are  base  enough  to  do  anything  so  mean 
— because  you  alone  can  caricature." 

"  Oh,  that  is  it,"  said  Annie  ;  "  you  suspect  me, 
then.  Do  you  suspect  me,  Mrs.  Willis  ?" 

"  My  dear — what  can  I  say  ?" 

"  Nothing,  if  you  do.  In  this  school  my  word 
has  long  gone  for  nothing.  I  am  a  naughty,  head- 
strong, willful  girl,  but  in  this  matter  I  am  perfectly 
innocent.  I  never  saw  that  essay  before  :  I  never 
in  all  my  life  went  to  Dora  Russell's  desk.  I  am 
headstrong  and  wild,  but  I  don't  do  spiteful  things. 
I  have  no  object  in  injuring  Dora  ;  she  is  nothing  to 
m« — nothing.  She  is  trying  for  the  essay  prize, 
but  she  has  no  chance  of  winning  it.  Why  should 
I  trouble  myself  to  injure  her  ?  Why  should  I  even 
take  the  pains  to  parody  her  words  and  copy  her 
handwriting  ?  Mrs.  Willis,  you  need  not  believe 
me — I  see  you  do  not  believe  me — but  I  am  quite 
innocent." 

Here  Annie  burst  into  sudden  tears,  and  ran  out 
of  the  room. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  227 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

UNTRUSTWORTHY. 

DORA  RUSSELL  had  declared,  in  Hester's  presence, 
and  with  intense  energy  in  her  manner,  that  the 
author  of  the  insult  to  which  she  had  been  exposed 
should  be  publicly  punished  and,  if  possible,  ex- 
pelled. On  the  evening  of  her  interview  with  the 
head  teacher,  she  had  so  far  forgotten  herself  as  to 
reiterate  this  desire  with  extreme  vehemence.  She 
had  boldly  declared  her  firm  conviction  of  Annie  s 
guilt,  and  had  broadly  hinted  at  Mrs.  Willis'  favor- 
itism toward  her.  The  great  dignity,  however,  of 
her  teacher's  manner,  and  the  half -sorrowful,  half- 
indignant  look  she  bestowed  on  the  excited  girl, 
calmed  her  down  after  a  time.  Mrs.  Willis  felt  full 
sympathy  for  Dora,  and  could  well  understand  how 
trying  and  aggravating  this  practical  joke  must  be 
to  so  proud  a  girl  ;  but  although  her  faith  was  un- 
doubtedly shaken  in  Annie,  she  would  not  allow  this 
sentiment  to  appear. 

"I  will  do  all  I  can  for  you,  Dora,"  she  said, 
when  the  weeping  Annie  had  left  the  room  ;  "  I 
will  do  everything  in  my  power  to  find  out  who 
has  injured  you.  Annie  has  absolutely  denied  the 
you  bring  against  her,  and  unless  her 


228  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

guilt  can  be  proved  it  is  but  right  to  believe  her 
innocent.  There  are  many  other  girls  in  Lavender 
House,  and  to-morrow  morning  I  will  sift  this  un- 
pleasant affair  to  the  very  bottom.  Go,  now,  my 
dear,  and  if  you  have  sufficient  self-command  and 
self-control,  try  to  have  courage  to  write  your  essay 
over  again.  I  have  no  doubt  that  your  second  ren- 
dering of  your  subject  will  be  more  attractive  than 
the  first.  Beginners  cannot  too  often  re-write  their 
themes." 

Dora  gave  her  head  a  proud  little  toss,  but  she 
was  sufficiently  in  awe  of  Mrs.  Willis  to  keep  back 
any  retort,  and  she  went  out  of  the  room  feeling 
unsatisfied  and  wretched,  and  inclined  for  a  sym- 
pathizing chat  with  her  little  friend  Hester  Thorn- 
ton. 

Hester,  however,  when  she  reached  her,  seemed 
not  at  all  disposed  to  talk  to  any  one. 

"  I've  had  it  all  out  with  Mrs.  Willis,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  she  will  be  exposed  to-morrow  morning," 
said  Dora  half  aloud. 

Hester,  whose  head  was  bent  over  her  French 
history,  looked  up  with  an  annoyed  expression. 

"Who  will  be  exposed?"  she  asked,  in  a  petu- 
lant voice. 

'•  Oh,  how  stupid  you  are  growing,  Hester  Thorn- 
ton !"  exclaimed  Dora  ;  "  why,  that  horrid  Annie 
Forest,  of  course — but  really  I  have  no  patience  to 
talk  to  you  ;  you  have  lost  all  your  spirit.  I  was 
very  foolish  to  demean  myself  by  taking  so  much 
notice  of  one  of  the  little  girls." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  229 

Dora  sailed  down  the  play-room  to  her  own  draw- 
ing-room, fully  expecting  Hester  to  rise  and  rush 
after  her;  but  to  her  surprise  Hester  did  not  stir, 
but  sat  with  her  head  bent  over  her  book,  and  her 
cheeks  slightly  flushed. 

The  next  morning  Mrs.  Willis  kept  her  word  to 
Dora,  and  made  the  very  strictest  inquiries  with 
regard  to  the  practical  joke  to  which  Dora  had  been 
subjected.  She  first  of  all  fully  explained  what  had 
taken  place  in  the  presence  of  the  whole  school,  and 
then  each  girl  was  called  up  in  rotation,  and  asked 
two  questions  :  first,  had  she  done  this  mischievous 
thing  herself  ?  second,  could  she  throw  any  light  on 
the  subject. 

One  by  one  each  girl  appeared  before  her  teacher, 
replied  in  the  negative  to  both  queries,  and  returned 
to  her  seat. 

"Now,  girls,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  "you  have  each 
of  you  denied  this  charge.  Such  a  thing  as  has 
happened  to  Dora  could  not  have  been  done  with- 
out hands.  The  teachers  in  the  school  are  above 
suspicion ;  the  servants  are  none  of  them  clever 
enough  to  perform  this  base  trick.  I  suspect  one 
of  you,  and  I  am  quite  determined  to  get  at  the 
truth.  During  the  whole  of  this  half-year  there 
has  been  a  spirit  of  unhappiness,  of  mischief,  and 
of  suspicion  in  our  midst.  Under  these  circum- 
stances love  cannot  thrive ;  under  these  circum- 
stances the  true  and  ennobling  sense  of  brotherly 
kindness,  and  all  those  feelings  which  real  religion 
prompt  must  languish.  I  tell  you  all  now  plainly 


230  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

that  I  will  not  have  this  thing  in  Lavender  Homse. 
It  is  simply  disgraceful  for  one  girl  to  play  such 
tricks  on  her  fellows.  This  is  not  the  first  time 
nor  the  second  time  that  the  school  desks  have  been 
tampered  with.  I  will  find  out — I  am  determined 
to  find  out,  who  this  dishonest  person  is  ;  and  as  she 
has  not  chosen  to  confess  to  me,  as  she  has  preferred 
falsehood  to  truth,  I  will  visit  her,  when  I  do  dis- 
cover her,  with  my  very  gravest  displeasure.  In 
this  school  I  have  always  endeavored  to  inculcate 
the  true  principles  of  honor  and  of  trust.  I  have 
laid  down  certain  broad  rules,  and  expect  them  to 
be  obeyed ;  but  I  have  never  hampered  you  with 
petty  and  humiliating  restraints.  I  have  given  you 
a  certain  freedom,  which  I  believed  to  be  for  your 
best  good,  and  I  have  never  suspected  one  of  you 
until  you  have  given  me  due  cause. 

"  Now,  however,  I  tell  you  plainly  that  I  alter  all 
my  tactics.  One  girl  sitting  in  this  room,  is  guilty. 
For  her  sake  I  shall  treat  you  all  as  guilty,  and 
punish  you  accordingly.  For  the  remainder  of  this 
term,  or  until  the  hour  when  the  guilty  girl  chooses 
to  release  her  companions,  you  are  all,  with  the 
exception  of  the  little  children  and  Miss  Russell, 
who  can  scarcely  have  played  this  trick  on  herself, 
under  punishment.  I  withdraw  your  half -holidays, 
I  take  from  you  the  use  of  the  south  parlor  for  your 
acting,  and  every  drawing-room  in  the  play-room  is 
confiscated.  But  this  is  not  all  that  I  do.  In  tak- 
ing from  you  my  trust,  I  must  treat  you  as  untrust- 
worthy— you  will  no  longer  enjqy  the  liberty  you 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  231 

used  to  delight  in — everywhere  you  will  be  watched. 
A  teacher  will  sit  in  your  play-room  with  you,  a 
teacher  will  accompany  you  into  the  grounds,  and  I 
tell  you  plainly,  girls,  that  chance  words  and 
phrases  which  drop  from  your  lips  shall  be  taken 
up,  and  used,  if  necessary,  to  the  elucidation  of  this 
disgraceful  mystery." 

Here  Mrs.  Willis  left  the  room,  and  the  teachers 
desired  the  several  girls  in  their  classes  to  attend  to 
their  morning  studies. 

Nothing  could  exceed  the  dismay  which  her 
words  had  produced.  The  innocent  girls  were 
fairly  stunned,  and  from  that  .hour  for  many  a  day 
all  sunshine  and  happiness  seemed  really  to  have 
left  Lavender  House. 

The  two,  however,  who  felt  the  change  most 
acutely,  and  on  whose  altered  faces  their  compan- 
ions began  to  fix  suspicious  eyes,  were  Annie  Forest 
and  Hester  Thornton.  Hester  was  burdened  with 
an  intolerable  sense  of  the  shameful  falsehood  she 
had  told ;  Annie,  guilty  in  another  matter,  suc- 
cumbed at  last  utterly  to  a  sense  of  misery  and 
injustice.  Her  orphaned  and  lonely  position  for  the 
first  time  began  to  tell  on  her;  she  ate  little  and 
slept  little,  her  face  grew  very  pale  and  thin,  and 
her  health  *really  suffered. 

All  the  routine  of  happy  life  at  Lavender  House 
was  changed.  In  the  large  play-room  the  drawing- 
rooms  were  unused ;  there  were  no  pleasant  little 
knots  of  girls  whispering  happily  and  confidentially 
together,  for  whenever  two  or  three  girls  sat  down 


232  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

to  have  a  chat  they  found  that  one  or  anothe.  ol 
the  teachers  was  within  hearing.  The  acting  ";of 
the  coming  play  progressed  so  languidly  that  no  one 
expected  it  would  really  take  place,  and  the  one 
relief  and  relaxation  to  the  unhappy  girls  lay  in  the 
fact  that  the  holidays  were  not  far  off,  and  that  in 
the  meantime  they  might  work  hard  for  the 
prizes. 

The  days  passed  in  a  truly  melancholy  fashion, 
and,  perhaps,  for  the  first  time  the  girls  fully  appre- 
ciated the  old  privileges  of  freedom  and  trust  which 
were  now  forfeited.  There  was  a  feeble  little  at- 
tempt at  a  joke  and  a  laugh  in  the  school  at  Dora's 
expense.  The  most  frivolous  of  the  girls  whispered 
of  her  as  she  passed  as  "  the  muddy  stream  ;"  but  no 
one  took  up  the  fun  with  avidity — the  shadow  of 
somebody's  sin  had  fallen  too  heavily  upon  all  the 
bright  young  lives. 


333 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

BETTY   FALLS   ILL   AT    AN    AWKWARD    TIME. 

THE  EIGHT  girls  who  had  gone  out  on  their  mid- 
night picnic  were  much  startled  one  day  by  an  un- 
pleasant discovery.  Betty  had  never  come  for  her 
basket.  Susan  Drummond,  who  had  a  good  deal  of 
curiosity,  and  always  poked  her  nose  into  unex- 
pected corners,  had  been  walking  with  a  Miss  Alli- 
son in  that  part  of  the  grounds  where  the  laurel-bush 
stood.  She  had  caught  a  peep  of  the  white  handle 
of  the  basket,  and  had  instantly  turned  her  compan- 
ion's attention  to  something  else.  Miss  Allison  had 
not  observed  Susan's  start  of  dismay  ;  but  Susan  had 
taken  the  first  opportunity  of  getting  rid  of  her,  and 
had  run  off  in  search  of  one  of  the  girls  who  had 
shared  in  the  picnic.  She  came  across  Annie  Forest, 
who  was  walking,  as  usual,  by  herself,  with  her  head 
slightly  bent,  and  her  curling  hair  in  sad  confusion. 
Susan  whispered  the  direful  intelligence  that  old 
Betty  had  forsaken  them,  and  that  the  basket,  with 
its  ginger-beer  bottles  and  its  stained  table-cloth, 
might  be  discovered  at  any  moment. 

Annie's  pale  face  flushed  slightly  at  Susan's  words. 

"  Why  should  we  try  to  conceal  the  thing  ?"  she 
said,  speaking  with  sudden  energy,  and  a  look  of 


234  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

hope  and  animation  coming  back  to  her  face.  "  Susy, 
let's  go,  all  of  us,  and  tell  the  miserable  truth  to 
Mrs.  Willis  ;  it  will  be  much  the  best  way.  We  did 
not  do  the  other  thing,  and  when  we  have  confessed 
about  this,  our  hearts  will  be  at  rest." 

"  No,  we  did  not  do  the  other  thing,"  said  Susan, 
a  queer,  gray  color  coming  over  her  face  ;  "but  con- 
fess about  this,  Annie  Forest ! — I  think  you  are 
mad.  You  dare  not  tell." 

"All  right,"  said  Annie,"!  won't,  unless  you  all 
agree  to  it,"  and  then  she  continued  her  walk,  leav- 
ing Susan  standing  on  the  gravel  path  with  her 
hands  clasped  together,  and  a  look  of  most  genuine 
alarm  and  dismay  on  her  usually  phlegmatic  face. 

Susan  quickly  found  Phyllis  and  Nora,  and  it  was 
only  too  easy  to  arouse  the  fears  of  these  timid 
little  people.  Their  poor  little  faces  became  almost 
pallid,  and  they  were  not  a  little  startled  at  the  fact 
of  Annie  Forest,  their  own  arch-conspirator,  wishing 
to  betray  their  secret. 

"  Oh,"  said  Susan  Drummond,  "  she's  not  out  and 
out  shabby  ;  she  says  she  won't  tell  unless  we  all 
wish  it.  But  what  is  to  become  of  the  basket  ?" 

"  Come,  come,  young  ladies ;  no  whispering,  if 
you  please,"  said  Miss  Good,  who  came  up  at  this 
moment.  "  Susan,  you  are  looking  pale  and  cold, 
Walk  up  and  down  that  path  half-a-dozen  times,  and 
then  go  into  the  house.  Phyllis  and  Nora,  you  can 
come  with  me  as  far  as  the  lodge.  I  want  to  take  a 
message  from  Mrs.  Willis  to  Mary  Martin  about  the 
fowl  for  to-morrow's  dinner." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  235 

Phyllis  and  Nora,  with  dismayed  faces,  walked 
solemnly  away  with  the  English  teacher,  and  Susan 
was  left  to  her  solitary  meditations. 

Things  had  come  to  such  a  pass  that  her  slow  wits 
were  brought  into  play,  and  she  neither  felt  sleepy, 
nor  did  she  indulge  in  her  usual  habit  of  eating 
lollipops. 

That  basket  might  be  discovered  any  day,  and 
then — then  disgrace  was  imminent.  Susan  could 
not  make  out  what  had  become  of  old  Betty  ;  never 
before  had  she  so  utterly  failed  them. 

Betty  lived  in  a  little  cottage  about  half  a  mile 
from  Lavender  House.  She  was  a  sturdy,  apple- 
cheeked,  little  old  woman,  and  had  for  many  a  day 
added  to  her  income — indeed,  almost  supported  her- 
self— by  means  of  the  girls  at  Lavender  House.  The 
large  cherry-trees  in  her  little  garden  bore  their  rich 
crop  of  fruit  year  after  year  for  Mrs.  Willis'  girls, 
and  every  day  at  an  early  hour  Betty  would  tramp 
into  Sefton  and  return  with  a  temptingly-laden 
basket  of  the  most  approved  cakes  and  tarts.  There 
was  a  certain  paling  at  one  end  of  the  grounds  to. 
which  Betty  used  to  come.  Here  on  the  grass  she 
would  sit  contentedly,  with  the  contents  of  her 
basket  arranged  in  the  most  tempting  order  before 
her,  and  to  this  seductive  spot  she  knew  well  that 
those  little  misses  who  loved  goodies,  cakes  and  tart- 
lets would  be  sure  to  find  their  way.  Betty  charged 
high  for  her  wares  ;  but,  as  she  was  always  obliging 
in  the  matter  of  credit,  the  thoughtless  girls  cared 
very  little  that  they  paid  double  the  shop  prices  for 


236  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Betty's  cakes.  The  best  girls  in  the  school,  cer- 
tainly, never  went  to  Betty ;  but  Annie  Forest, 
Susan  Drummond,  and  several  others  had  regular 
accounts  with  her,  and  few  days  passed  that  their 
young  faces  would  not  peep  over  the  paling  and 
their  voices  ask : 

"What  have  you  got  to  tempt  me  with  to-day, 
Betty  ?" 

It  was,  however,  in  the  matter  of  stolen  picnics,  of 
grand  feasts  in  the  old  attic,  etc.,  etc.,  that  Betty 
was  truly  great.  No  one  so  clever  as  she  in  con- 
cealing a  basket  of  delicious  eatables,  no  one  knew 
better  what  schoolgirls  liked.  She  undoubtedly 
charged  her  own  prices,  but  what  she  gave  was  of 
the  best,  and  Betty  was  truly  in  her  element  when 
she  had  an  order  from  the  young  ladies  of  Lavender 
House  for  a  grand  secret  feast. 

"  You  shall  have  it,  my  pretties — you  shall  have 
it,"  she  would  say,  wrinkling  up  her  bright  blue 
eyes,  and  smiling  broadly.  "You  leave  it  to 
Betty,  my  little  loves  ;  you  leave  it  to  Betty." 

On  the  occasion  of  the  picnic  to  the  fairies'  field 
Betty  had,  indeed,  surpassed  herself  in  the  delicious 
eatables  she  had  provided ;  all  had  vgone  smoothly, 
the  basket  had  been  placed  in  a  secure  hiding-place 
under  the  thick  laurel.  It  was  to  be  fetched  away 
by  Betty  herself  at  an  early  hour  on  the  following 
morning. 

No  wonder  Susan  was  perplexed  as  she  paced 
about  and  pretended  to  warm  herself  It  was  a  June 
evening,  but  the  weather  was  still  a  little  cold.  Susan 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  237 

remembered  now  that  Betty  had  not  come  to  her 
favorite  station  at  the  stile  for  several  days.  Was  it 
possible  that  the  old  woman  was  ill  ?  As  this  idea 
occurred  to  her,  Susan  became  more  alarmed.  She 
knew  that  there  was  very  little  chance  of  the  basket 
remaining  long  in  concealment.  Rover  might  any 
day  remember  his  pleasant  picnic  with  affection,  and 
drag  the  white  basket  from  under  the  laurel-bush. 
Michael  the  gardener  would  be  certain  to  see  it  when 
next  he  cleaned  up  the  back  avenue.  Oh,  it  was 
more  than  dangerous  to  leave  it  there,  and  yet 
Susan  knew  of  no  better  hiding-place.  A  sudden 
idea  came  to  her ;  she  pulled  out  her  pretty  little 
watch,  and  saw  that  she  need  not  return  to  the 
house  for  another  half-hour.  "Suppose  she  ran  as 
fast  as  possible  to  Betty's  little  cottage  and  begged 
of  the  old  woman  to  come  by  the  first  light  in  the 
morning  and  fetch  away  the  basket  ?" 

The  moment  Susan  conceived  this  idea  she  re- 
solved to  put  it  into  execution.  She  looked  around 
her  hastily ;  no  teacher  was  in  sight,  Miss  Good 
was  away  at  the  lodge,  Miss  Danesbury  was  play- 
ing with  the  little  children.  Mademoiselle,  she 
knew,  had  gone  indoors  with  a  bad  headache.  She 
left  the  broad  walk  where  she  had  been  desired  to 
stay,  and  plunging  into  the  shrubbery,  soon  reached 
Betty's  paling.  In  a  moment  she  had  climbed  the 
bars,  had  jumped  lightly  into  the  field,  and  was 
running  as  fast  as  possible  in  the  direction  of  Betty's 
cottage.  She  reached  the  high  road,  and  started 
and  trembled  violently  as  a  carriage  with  some 


238  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

ladies  and  gentlemen  passed  her.  She  thought  she 
recognized  the  faces  of  the  two  little  Misses  Bruce, 
but  did  not  dare  to  look  at  them,  and  hurried  pant- 
ing along  the  road,  and  hoping  she  might  be  mis- 
taken. 

In  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour  she  had  reached 
Betty's  little  cottage,  and  was  standing  trying  to 
recover  her  breath  by  the  shut  door.  The  place 
had  a  deserted  look,  and  several  overripe  cherries 
had  fallen  from  the  trees  and  were  lying  neglected 
on  the  ground.  Susan  knocked  impatiently.  There 
was  no  discernible  answer.  She  had  no  time  to 
wait,  she  lifted  the  latch,  which  yielded  to  her 
pressure,  and  went  in. 

Poor  old  Betty,  crippled,  and  in  severe  pain  with 
rheumatism,  was  lying  on  her  little  bed. 

"  Eh,  dear — and  is  that  you,  my  pretty  missy  ?" 
she  asked,  as  Susan,  hot  and  tired,  came  up  to  her 
side. 

"  Oh,  Betty,  are  you  ill  ?"  asked  Miss  Drummond. 
"  I  came  to  tell  you  you  have  forgotten  the  basket." 

"  No,  my  dear,  no — not  forgot.  By  no  means 
that,  lo.vey ;  but  I  has  been  took  with  the  rheuma- 
ti?.m  this  past  week,  and  can't  move  hand  or  foot.  I 
was  wondering  how  you'd  do  without  your  cakes 
and  tartlets,  dear,  and  to  think  of  them  cherries  ly- 
ing there  good  for  nothing  on  the  ground  is  enough 
to  break  one  s  'eart." 

"  So  it  is,"  said  Susan,  giving  an  appreciative 
glance  toward  the  open  door.  "  They  are  beauti- 
ful cherries,  and  full  of  -juice,  I  am  sure.  I'll  take  a 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  239 

few,  Betty,  as  I  am  going  out,  and  pay  you  for  them 
another  day.  But  what  I  have  come  about  now  is 
the  basket  You  must  get  the  basket  away,  how- 
ever ill  you  are.  If  the  basket  is  discovered  we  are 
all  lost,  and  then  good-by  to  your  gains." 

"  Well,  missy,  dear,  if  I  could  crawl  on  my  hands 
and  knees  I'd  go  and  fetch  it,  rather  than  you 
should  be  worried  ;  but  I  can't  set  foot  to  the  ground 
at  all.  The  doctor  says  as  'tis  somethink  like  rheu- 
matic fever  as  I  has." 

"  Oh,  dear,  oh,  dear,"  said  Susan,  not  wasting  any 
of  her  precious  moments  in  pitying  the  poor  suffer- 
ing old  woman.  "  What  ts  to  be  done  ?  I  tell  you, 
Betty,  if  that  basket  is  found  we  are  all  lost." 

"  But  the  laurel  is  very  thick,  iovey ;  it  ain't  likely 
to  be  found — it  ain't,  indeed.* 

"  I  tell  you  it  is  likely  to  be  found,  you  tiresome 
old  woman,  and  you  really  must  go  for  it  or  send 
for  it.  You  really  must." 

Old  Betty  began  to  ponder. 

"  There's  Moses,"  she  said,  after  a  pause  of  anx- 
ious thought ;  he's  a  'cute  little  chap,  and  he  might 
go.  He  lives  in  the  fourth  cottage  along  the  lane. 
Moses  is  his  name — Moses  Moore.  I'd  give  him  a 
pint  of  cherries  for  the  job.  If  you  wouldn't  mind 
sending  Moses  to  me.  Miss  Susan,  why,  1 11  do  my 
best ;  only  it  seems  a  pity  to  let  anybody  into  your 
secrets,  young  ladies,  but  old  Betty  herself. ' 

(<  It  is  a  pity,"  said  Susan,  "  but,  under  the  circum- 
stances, it  can't  be  helped.  What  cottage  did  you 
say  this  Moses  lived  in  ?" 


240  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"The  fourth  from  here,  down  the  lane,  lovey — 
Moses  is  the  lad's  name ;  he's  a  freckled  boy,  with 
a  cast  in  one*  eye.  You  send  him  up  to  me,  dearie ; 
but  don't  mention  the  cherries,  or  he'll  be  after 
stealing  them.  He's  a  sad  rogue,  is  Moses ;  but  I 
think  I  can  tempt  him  with  the  cherries." 

Susan  did  not  wait  to  bid  poor  old  Betty  "  good- 
bye," but  ran  out  of  the  cottage,  shutting  the  door 
after  her,  and  snatching  up  two  or  three  ripe  cher- 
ries to  eat  on  her  way.  She  was  so  far  fortunate  as 
to  find  the  redoubtable  Moses  at  home,  and  to  con- 
vey him  bodily  to  old  Betty's  presence.  The  queer 
boy  grinned  horribly,  and  looked  as  wicked  as  boy 
could  look ;  but  on  the  subject  of  cherries  he  was 
•undoubtedly  susceptible,  and  after  a  good  deal  of 
haggling  and  insisting  that  the  pint  should  be  a 
quart,  he  expressed  his  willingness  to  start  off  at  four 
o'clock  on  the  following  morning,  and  bring  away 
the  basket  from  tinder  the  laurel-tree. 


A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  241 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

"YOU   ARE    WELCOME   TO   TELL." 

ANNIE  continued  her  walk.  The  circumstances  of 
the  last  two  months  had  combined  to  do  for  her  what 
nothing  had  hitherto  effected.  When  a  little  child 
she  had  known  hardship  and  privation,  she  had  passed 
through  that  experience  which  is  metaphorically 
spoken  of  as  "  going  down  hill."  As  a  baby  little 
Annie  had  been  surrounded  by  comforts  and  luxuries, 
and  her  father  and  mother  had  lived  in  a  large  house, 
and  kept  a  carriage,  and  Annie  had  two  nurses  to 
wait  on  herself  alone.  These  were  in  the  days  before 
she  could  remember  anything.  With  her  first  early 
memories  came  the  recollection  of  a  much  smaller 
house,  of  much  fewer  servants,  of  her  mother  often 
in  tears,  and  her  father  often  away.  Then  there 
was  no  house  at  all  that  the  Forests  could  call  their 
own,  only  rooms  of  a  tolerably  cheerful  character — 
and  Annie's  nurse  went  away,  and  she  took  her 
daily  walks  by  her  mother's  side  and  slept  in  a  little 
cot  in  her  mother's  room.  There  came  a  very,  very 
sad  day,  when  her  mother  lay  cold  and  still  and 
fainting  on  her  bed,  and  her  tall  and  handsome 
father  caught  Annie  in  his  arms  and  pressed  her  to 
his  heart,  and  told  her  to  be  a  good  child  and  to  keep 


242  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

up  her  spirits,  and,  above  all  things,  to  take  care 
of  mother.  Then  her  father  had  gone  away ;  and 
though  Annie  expected  him  back,  he  did  not  come, 
and  she  and  her  mother  went  into  poorer  and  shab- 
bier lodgings,  and  her  mother  began  to  try  her  tear- 
dimmed  eyes  by  working  at  church  embroidery,  and 
Annie  used  to  notice  that  she  coughed  a  good  deal  as 
she  worked.  Then  there  was  another  move,  and 
this  time  Mrs.  Forest  and  her  little  daughter  found 
themselves  in  one  bedroom,  and  things  began  to 
grow  very  gloomy,  and  food  even  was  scarce. 
At  last  there  was  a  change.  One  day  a  lady 
came  into  the  dingy  little  room,  and  all  on 
a  sudden  it  seemed  as  if  the  sun  had  come  out 
again.  This  lady  brought  comforts  with  her — toys 
and  books  for  the  child,  good,  brave  words  of  cheer 
for  the  mother.  At  last  Annie's  mother  died,  and 
she  went  away  to  Lavender  House  to  live  with  this 
good  friend  who  had  made  her  mother's  dying 
hours  easy. 

"Annie,  Annie,"  said  the  dying  mother,  'I  owe 
everything  to  Mrs.  Willis  ;  we  knew  each  other  long 
ago  when  we  were  girls,  and  she  has  come  to  me  now 
and  made  everything  easy.  When  I  am  gone  she 
will  take  care  of  you  Oh,  my  child,  I  cannot  repay 
her ;  but  will  you  try  ?" 

"Yes,  mother,"  said  little  Annie,  gazing  full  into 
her  mother  s  face  with  her  sweet  bright  eyes,  "  I'll 
— I'll  love  her,  mother  ;  I'll  give  her  lots  and  lots  of 
love  " 

Annie  had  gone  to  Lavender  House,  and  kept  her 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  243 

word,  for  she  had  almost  worshiped  the  good  mis- 
tress who  was  so  true  and  kind  to  her,  and  who  had 
so  befriended  her  mother.  Through  all  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  her  short  existence  Annie  had,  however, 
never  lost  one  precious  gift.  Hers  was  an  affection- 
ate, but  also  a  wonderfully  bright,  nature.  It  was 
as  impossible  for  Annie  to  turn  away  from  laughter 
and  merriment  as  it  would  be  for  a  flower  to  keep 
its  head  determinately  turned  from  the  sun.  In  their 
darkest  days  Annie  had  managed  to  make  her 
mother  laugh  ;  her  little  face  was  a  sunbeam,  her 
very  naughtinesses  were  of  a  laughable  character. 

Her  mother  died — her  father  was  still  away,  but 
.Annie  retained  her  brave  and  cheerful  spirit,  for  she 
gave  and  received  love.  Mrs.  Willis  loved  her — she 
bestowed  upon  her  among  all  her  girls  the  tenderest 
glances,  the  most  motherly  caresses.  The  teachers 
undoubtedly  corrected  and  even  scolded  her,  but 
they  could  not  help  liking  her,  and  even  her  worst 
scrapes  made  them  smile.  Annie's  companions 
adored  her ;  the  little  children  would  do  anything 
lor  their  own  Annie,  and  even  the  servants  in  the 
school  said  that  there  was  no  young  lady  in  Laven- 
der House  fit  to  hold  a  candle  to  Miss  Forest. 

During  the  last  half-year,  however,  things  had 
been  different.  Suspicion  and  mistrust  began  to  dog 
the  footsteps  of  the  bright  young  girl ;  she  was  no 
longer  a  universal  favorite — some  of  the  girls  even 
openly  expressed  their  dislike  to  her. 

All  this  Annie  could  have  borne,  but  for  the  fact 
that  Mrs  Willis  joined  in  the  universal  suspicioa 


244  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

The  old  glance  now  never  came  to  her  eyes,  nor  the 
old  tone  to  her  voice.  For  the  first  time  Annie's 
spirits  utterly  flagged ;  she  could  not  bear  this 
universal  coldness,  this  universal  chill.  She  began 
to  droop  physically  as  well  as  mentally. 

She  was  pacing  up  and  down  the  walk,  thinking 
very  sadly,  wondering  vaguely  if  her  father  would 
ever  return,  and  conscious  of  a  feeling  of  more  or 
less  indifference  to  everything  and  every  one,  when 
she  was  suddenly  roused  from  her  meditation  by 
the  patter  of  small  feet  and  by  a  very  eager  little 
exclamation  : 

"  Me  tiimming — me  tumming,  Annie  !"  and  then 
Nan  raised  her  charming  face  and  placed  her  cool 
baby  hand  in  Annie's. 

There  was  delicious  comfort  in  the  clasp  of  the 
little  hand,  and  in  the  look  of  love  and  pleasure 
which  lit  up  the  small  face. 

"Me  yiding  from  naughty  nurse — me  'tay  with 
you,  Annie — me  love  'oo,  Annie." 

Annie  stooped  down,  kissed  the  little  one,  and 
lifted  her  into  her  arms. 

"  Why  ky  ?"  said  Nan,  who  saw  with  consterna- 
tion two  big  tears  in  Annie's  eyes  ;  "  dere,  pooi 
ickle  Annie — me  love  'oo — me  buy  'oo  a  new  doll." 

"  Dearest  little  darling,"  said  Annie  in  a  voice  of 
almost  passionate  pain ;  then,  with  that  wonderful 
instinct  which  made  her  in  touch  with  all  little 
children,  she  cheered  up,  wiped  away  her  tears,  and 
allowed  laughter  once  more  to  wreathe  her  lips  and 
fill  her  eyes.  "  Come,  Nan,"  she  said  "  you  and  I 
will  have  such  a  race." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  245 

She  placed  the  child  on  her  shoulder,  clasped  the 
little  hands  securely  round  her  neck,  and  ran  to  the 
sound  of  Nan's  shouts  down  the  shady  walk. 

At  the  farther  end  Nan  suddenly  tightened  her 
clasp,  drew  herself  up,  ceased  to  laugh,  and  said 
with  some  fright  in  her  voice  : 

"Who  dat?" 

Annie,  too,  stood  still  with  a  sudden  start,  for  the 
gypsy  woman,  Mother  Rachel,  was  standing  di- 
rectly in  their  path. 

"Go  'way,  naughty  woman,"  said  Nan,  shaking 
her  small  hand  imperiously. 

The  gypsy  dropped  a  low  courtesy,  and  spoke  in  a 
slightly  mocking  tone. 

"A  pretty  little  dear,"  she  said.  "Yes,  truly 
now,  a  pretty  little  winsome  dear  ;  and  oh,  what 
shoes !  and  little  open-work  socks !  and  I  don't 
doubt  real  lace  trimming  on  all  her  little  garments 
— T  don't  doubt  it  a  bit." 

"  Go  'way — me  don't  like  'oo,"  said  Nan.  "  Let's 
wun  back — gee,  gee,"  she  said,  addressing  Annie, 
whom  she  had  constituted  into  a  horse  for  the  time 
being. 

"  Yes,  Nan ;  in  one  minute,"  said  Annie.  "  Please, 
Mother  Rachel,  what  are  you  doing  here  ?" 

"  Only  waiting  to  see  you,  pretty  missie,"  replied 
the  tall  gypsy.  "  You  are  the  dear  little  lady  who 
crossed  my  hand  with  silver  that  night  in  the  wood. 
Eh,  but  it  was  a  bonny  night,  with  a  bonny  bright 
moon,  and  none  of  the  dear  little  ladies  meant  any 
hami — no,  no,  Mother  Rachel  knows  that." 


246  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Look  here/'  said  Annie,  "  I'm  not  going  to  bo 
afraid  of  you.  I  have  no  more  silver  to  give  yon. 
If  you  like,  you  may  go  up  to  the  house  and  tell 
what  you  have  seen.  I  am  very  unhappy,  and 
whether  you  tell  or  not  can  make  very  little  differ- 
ence to  me  now.  Good-night ;  I  am  not  the  least 
afraid  of  you — you  can  do  just  as  you  please  about 
telling  Mrs.  Willis." 

"  Eh,  my  dear  ?"  said  the  gypsy ;  do  you  think 
I'd  work  you  any  harm — you,  and  the  seven  other 
dear  little  ladies  ?  No,  not  for  the  world,  my 
dear — not  for  the  world.  You  don't  know  Mother 
Rachel  when  you  think  she'd  be  that  mean." 

"Well,  don't  come  here  again,"  said  Annie. 
"  Good-night." 

She  turned  on  her  heel  and  Nan  shouted  back : 

"Go  way,  naughty  woman — Nan  don't  love  'oo, 
'tall,  'tall." 

The  gypsy  stood  still  for  a  moment  with  a  frown 
knitting  her  brows ;  then  she  slowly  turned,  and, 
creeping  on  all-fours  through  the  underwood, 
climbed  the  hedge  into  the  field  beyond. 

"Oh,  no,"  she  laughed,  after  a  moment;  "the 
little  missy  thinks  she  ain't  afraid  of  me ;  but  she 
be.  Trust  Mother  Rachel  for  knowing  that  much. 
I  make  no  doubt,"  she  added  after  a  pause,  "  that 
the  little  one's  clothes  are  trimmed  with  real  lace. 
Well,  little  Missie  Annie  Forest,  I  can  see  with  half 
an  eye  that  you  set  store  by  that  baby-girl.  You 
had  better  not  cross  Mother  Rachel's  whims,  or  she 
can  punish  you  in  a  way  you  don't  think  of." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  347 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

HOW   MOSES  MOORE   KEPT   HIS  APPOINTMENT. 

SUSAN  DRUMMOND  got  back  to  Lavender  House 
without  apparent  discovery  She  was  certainly  late 
when  she  took  her  place  in  the  class-room  for  her 
next  day's  preparation ;  but,  beyond  a  very  sharp 
reprimand  from  mademoiselle,  no  notice  was  taken 
of  this  fact.  She  managed  to  whisper  to  Nora  and 
Phyllis  that  the  basket  would  be  moved  by  the  first 
dawn  the  next  morning;  and  the  little  girls  went  to 
bed  happier  in  consequence.  Nothing  ever  could 
disturb  Susan's  slumbers,  and  that  night  she  certainly 
slept  without  rocking.  As  she  was  getting  into  bed 
she  ventured  to  tell  Annie  how  successfully  she  had 
manoeuvered ;  but  Annie  received  her  news  with  the 
most  absolute  indifference,  looking  at  her  for  a  mo- 
ment with  a  queer  smile,  and  then  saying  • 

'•  My  own  wish  is  that  this  should  be  found  out. 
As  a  matter  of  course,  I  sha'n't  betray  you,  girls ; 
but  as  things  now  stand  I  am  anxious  that  Mrs.  Wil- 
lis should  know  the  very  worst  of  me.' 

After  a  remark  which  Susan  considered  so  sim- 
ply idiotic,  there  was,  of  course,  no  further  conver« 
sation  between  the  two  girls. 


248  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Moses  Moore  had  certainly  promised  Betty  to 
rise  soon  after  dawn  on  the  following  morning, 
and  go  to  Lavender  House  to  carry  off  the  basket 
from  under  the  laurel-tree.  Moses,  a  remarkably 
indolent  lad,  had  been  stimulated  by  the  thought  of 
the  delicious  cherries  which  would  be  his  as  soon 
as  he  brought  the  basket  to  Betty.  He  had  clev- 
erly stipulated  that  a  quart — not  a  pint — ot  cher- 
ries was  to  be  his  reward,  and  he  looked  forward 
with  considerable  pleasure  to  picking  them  himself, 
and  putting  a  few  extra  ones  into  his  mouth  on 
the  sly 

Moses  was  not  at  all  the  kind  of  a  boy  who 
would  have  scrupled  to  steal  a  few  cherries,  but  in 
this  particular  old  Betty,  ill  as  she  was,  was  too 
sharp  for  him  or  for  any  of  the  other  village  lads.  Her 
bed  was  drawn  up  close  to  her  little  window,  and 
her  window  looked  directly  on  to  the  two  cherry 
trees.  Never,  to  all  appearance,  did  Betty  close  her 
eyes.  However  early  the  hour  might  be  in  which  a 
village  boy  peeped  over  the  wall  of  her  garden, 
he  always  saw  her  white  night-cap  moving,  and  he 
knew  that  her  bright  blue  eyes  would  be  on  him, 
and  he  would  be  proclaimed  a  thief  all  over  the 
place  before  many  minutes  were  over. 

Moses,  therefore,  was  very  glad  to  secure  his 
cherries  by  fair  means,  as  he  could  not  obtain  them 
by  foul ;  and  he  went  to  bed  and  to  sleep  deter- 
mined to  be  off  on  his  errand  with  the  dawn. 

A  very  natural  thing,  however,  happened.  Moses, 
unaccustomed  to  getting  up  at  half  past  three  in  the 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  249 

morning,  never  opened  his  eyes  until  the  church 
clock  struck  five.  Then  he  started  upright,  rubbed 
and  rubbed  at  his  sleepy  orbs,  tumbled  into  his 
clothes,  and,  softly  opening  the  cottage  door,  set  off 
on  his  errand. 

The  fact  of  his  being  nearly  an  hour  and  a  half 
late  did  not  trouble  him  in  the  least.  In  any  case, 
he  would  get  to  Lavender  House  before  six  o'clock, 
and  would  have  consumed  his  cherries  in  less  than 
an  hour  from  that  date. 

Moses  sauntered  gaily  along  the  roads,  whistling 
as  he  went,  and  occasionally  tossing  his  battered  cap 
in  the  air.  He  often  lingered  on  his  way,  now  to 
cut  down  a  particularly  tempting  switch  from  the 
hedge,  now  to  hunt  for  a  possible  bird's  nest.  It 
was  very  nearly  six  o'clock  when  he  reached  the 
back  avenue,  swung  himself  over  the  gate,  which 
was  locked,  and  ran  softly  on  the  dewy  grass  in  the 
direction  of  the  laurel  bush.  Old  Betty  had  given 
him  most  careful  instructions,  and  he  was  far  too 
sharp  a  lad  to  forget  what  was  necessary  for  the 
obtaining  of  a  quart  of  cherries.  He  found  his  tree, 
and  lay  flat  on  the  ground  in  order  to  pull  out 
the  basket  His  fingers  had  just  clasped  the  handle 
when  there  came -a  sudden  interruption — a  rush,  a 
growl,  and  some  very  sharp  teeth  had  inserted 
themselves  into  the  back  of  his  ragged  jacket. 
Poor  Moses  found  himself,  to  his  horror,  in  the 
clutches  of  a  great  mastiff.  The  creature  held  him 
tight,  and  laid  one  heavy  paw  on  him  to  prevent 
him  rising 


2&0  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Under  these  circumstances,  Moses  thought  it  quit 
unnecessary  to  retain  any  self-control.     He  shrieked 
he  screamed,  he  wriggled ;  his  piercing  yells  filled 
the  air,   and,  fortunately  for    him,  his  being   two 
hours    too    late    brought    assistance    to    his    aid. 
Michael,    the    gardener,    and    a    strong    boy    who 
helped  him,  rushed  to  the  spot,  and  liberated  the 
terrified  lad,  who,  after  all,  was  only  frightened,  for 
Rover  had  satisfied  himself  with  tearing  his  jacket 
to  pieces,  not  himself. 

"  Give  me  the  b-basket,"  sobbed  Moses,  "  and  let 
meg-g-go." 

"  You  may  certainly  go,  you  little  tramp,"  said 
Michael,  "  but  Jim  and  me  will  keep  the  basket.  I 
much  misdoubt  me  if  there  isn't  mischief  here. 
What's  the  basket  put  hiding  here  for,  and  who 
does  it  belong  to  ?" 

"Old  B-B-Betty,"  gasped  forth  the  agitated 
Moses. 

"  Well,  let  old  Betty  fetch  it  herself.  Mrs.  Willis 
will  keep  it  for  her,"  said  Michael.  "Come  along, 
Jim,  get  to  your  weeding,  do  There,  little  scamp, 
you  had  better  make  yourself  scarce," 

Moses  certainly  took  his  advice,  for  he  scuttled 
off  like  a  hare.  Whether  he  ever  got  his  cherries 
or  not,  history  does  not  disclose. 

Michael,  looking  gravely  at  Jim.  opened  the 
basket,  examined  its  contents,  and,  shaking  his  head 
solemnly,  carried  it  into  the  house. 

"  There's  been  deep  work  going  on,  Jim,  and  my 
missis  ought  to  know,"  said  Michael,  who  was 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS  251 

an  exceedingly  strict  disciplinarian.  Jim,  how- 
ever, had  a  soft  corner  in  his  heart  for  the  young 
ladies,  and  he  commenced  his  weeding  with  a  pro 
foimd  sigh. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

A   BROKEN    TRUST. 

THE  NEXT  morning  Annie  Forest  opened  her  eyes 
with  that  strange  feeling  of  indifference  and  want  of 
vivacity  which  come  so  seldom  to  youth.  She  saw 
the  sun  shining  through  the  closed  blinds ;  she  heard 
the  birds  twittering  and  singing  in  the  large  elm-tree 
which  nearly  touched  the  windows  ;  she  knew  well 
how  the  world  looked  at  this  moment,  for  often  and 
often  in  her  old  light-hearted  days  she  had  risen  be- 
fore the  maid  came  to  call  her,  and,  kneeling  by  the 
deep  window-ledge,  had  looked  out  at  the  bright, 
fresh,  sparkling  day.  A  new  day,  with  all  its  hours 
before  it,  its  light  vivid  but  not  too  glaring,  its  dress 
all  manner  of  tender  shades  and  harmonious  colorings ! 
Annie  had  a  poetical  nature,  and  she  gloried  in  these 
glimpses  which  she  got  all  by  herself  of  the  fresh,  glad 
world. 

To-day,  however,  she  lay  still,  sorry  to  know  that 
the  brief  night  was  at  an  end,  and  that  the  day,  with 
its  coldness  and  suspicion,  its  terrible  absence  of  love 
and  harmony,  was  about  to  begin. 

Annie's  nature  was  very  emotional ;  she  was  in- 
tensely sensitive  to  her  surroundings  ;  the  grayness  of 
her  present  life  was  absolute  destruction  to  such  a 
nature  as  hers. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  253 

The  dressing-bell  rang ;  the  maid  came  in  to  draw 
up  the  blinds,  and  call  the  girls.  Annie  rose  languidly 
and  began  to  dress  herself. 

She  first  finished  her  toilet,  and  then  approached 
her  little  bed,  and  stood  by  its  side  for  a  moment 
hesitating.  She  did  not  want  to  pray,  and  yet  she 
felt  impelled  to  go  down  on  her  knees.  As  she  knelt 
with  her  curls  falling  about  her  face,  and  her  hands 
pressed  to  her  eyes,  one  line  of  one  of  her  favorite 
poems  came  flashing  with  swiftness  and  power  across 
her  memory : 

"  A  soul  which  has  sinned  and  is  pardoned  again." 

The  words  filled  her  whole  heart  with  a  sudden 
sense  of  peace  and  of  great  longing. 

The  prayer-bell  rang;  she  rose,  and,  turning  to 
Susan  Drummond,  said  earnestly : 

"Oh,  Susy,  I  do  wish  Mrs.  Willis  could  know 
about  our  going  to  the  fairy-field  ;  I  do  so  want  God 
to  forgive  me." 

Susan  stared  in  her  usual  dull,  uncomprehend- 
ing way ;  then  she  flushed  a  little,  and  said 
brusquely : 

"  I  think  you  have  quite  taken  leave  of  your  senses, 
Annie  Forest." 

Annie  said  no  more,  but  at  prayers  in  the  chapel 
she  was  glad  to  find  herself  near  gentle  Cecil  Temple 
and  the  words  kept  repeating  themselves  to  her  all 
during  the  morning  lessons : 

"  A  soul  which  has  sinned  and  is  pardoned  again." 
Just  before  morning  school  several  of  the  girls 


254  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

started  and  looked  distressed  when  they  found  that 
Mrs.  Willis  lingered  in  the  room.  She  stood  for  a 
moment  by  the  English  teacher's  desk,  said  something 
to  her  in  a  low  voice,  and  then,  walking  slowly  to  her 
own  post  at  the  head  of  the  great  school-room,  she 
said  suddenly  : 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question,  Miss  Drummond. 
Will  you  please  just  stand  up  in  your  place  in 
class  and  answer  me  without  a  moment's  hesita- 
tion." 

Phyllis  and  Nora  found  themselves  turning  very 
pale  ;  Mary  Price  and  one  or  two  more  of  the  rebels 
also  began  to  tremble,  but  Susan  looked  dogged  and 
indifferent  enough  as  she  turned  her  eyes  toward 
her  teacher. 

"Yes,  madam,"  she  said,  rising  and  dropping  a 
courtesy. 

"  My  friends,  the  Misses  Bruce,  came  to  call  on 
me  yesterday  evening,  Susan,  and  told  me  that  they 
saw  you  running  very  quickly  on  the  high  road  in 
the  direction  of  the  village.  You,  of  course,  know 
that  you  broke  a  very  distinct  rule  when  you  left 
the  grounds  without  leave.  Tell  me  at  once  where 
you  were  going." 

Susan  hesitated,  colored  to  her  dullest  red,  and 
looked  down.  Then,  because  she  had  no  ready 
excuse  to  offer,  she  blurted  out  the  truth ; 

"  I  was  going  to  see  old  Betty." 

"  The  cake-woman  i" 

"Yes." 

"  What  for  ?" 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  255 

"  I — I  heard  she  was  ill." 

"  Indeed — you  may  sit  down,  Miss  Drummond. 
Miss  Good,  will  you  ask  Michael  to  step  for  a  moment 
into  the  schoolroom  ?" 

Several  of  the  girls  now  indeed  held  their  breath, 
and  more  than  one  heart  beat  with  heavy,  frightened 
bumps  as  a  moment  later  Michael  followed  Miss 
Good  into  the  room,  carrying  the  redoubtable  pic- 
nic-basket on  his  arm. 

"  Michael,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  "  I  wish  you  to  tell 
the  young  ladies  exactly  how  you  found  the  basket 
this  morning.  Stand  by  my  side,  please,  and  speak 
loud  enough  for  them  to  hear." 

After  a  moment's  pause  Michael  related  some- 
what diffusely  and  with  an  occasional  break  in  his 
narrative  the  scene  which  had  occurred  between  him 
and  Moses  that  morning. 

"  That  will  do,  Michael ;  you  can  now  go,"  said 
the  head  mistress. 

She  waited  until  the  old  servant  had  closed  the 
door,  and  then  she  turned  to  her  girls  : 

"  It  is  not  quite  a  fortnight  since  I  stood  where  I 
now  stand,  and  asked  one  girl  to  be  honorable  and 
to  save  her  companions.  One  girl  was  guilty  of  sin 
and  would  not  confess,  and  for  her  sake  all  her  com- 
panions are  now  suffering.  I  am  tired  of  this  sort 
of  thing — I  am  tired  of  standing  in  this  place  and 
appealing  to  your  honor,  which  is  dead,  to  your 
truth  which  is  nowhere.  Girls,  you  puzzle  me — 
you  half  break  my  heart.  In  this  case  more 
than  one  is  guilty.  How  many  of  the  girls  in 


256  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Lavender  House  are  going  to  tell  me  a  lie  this 
morning  ?" 

There  was  a  brief  pause  ;  then  a  slight  cry,  and  a 
girl  rose  from  her  seat  and  walked  up  the  long 
schoolroom. 

"I  am  the  most  guilty  of  all,"  said  Annie 
Forest. 

"Annie  !"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  in  a  tone  half  of  pain, 
half  of  relief,  "  have  you  come  to  your  senses  at 
last?" 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  to  be  able  to  speak  the  truth," 
said  Annie.  "  Please  punish  me  very,  very  hard  ;  I 
am  the  most  guilty  of  all." 

"What  did  you  do  with  this  basket?" 

"We  took  it  for  a  picnic — it  was  my  plan,  I  led 
the  others." 

"  Where  was  your  picnic  ?" 

"In  the  fairies'  field." 

"Ah!    At  what  time?" 

"  At  night — in  the  middle  of  the  night — the  night 
you  went  to  London." 

Mrs.  Willis  put  her  hand  to  her  brow ;  her  face 
was  very  white  and  the  girls  could  see  that  she 
trembled. 

"  I  trusted  my  girls "  she  said ;  then  she  broke 

off  abruptly. 

"You  had  companions  in  this  wickedness — name 
them." 

"  Yes,  I  had  companions ;  I  led  them  on." 

"  Name  them,  Miss  Forest." 

For  the  first  time  Annie  raised  her  eyes  to  Mrs 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  257 

Willis'  face ;  then  she  turned  and  looked  down  the 
long  schoolroom. 

"  Oh,  won't  they  tell  themselves  ?"  she  said. 

Nothing  could  be  more  appealing  than  her  glance. 
It  melted  the  hearts  of  Phyllis  and  Nora,  who  began 
to  scb,  and  to  declare  brokenly  that  they  had  gone 
too,  and  that  they  were  very,  very  sorry. 

Spurred  by  their  example  Mary  Price  also  con- 
fessed, and  one  by  one  all  the  little  conspirators  re- 
vealed the  truth,  with  the  exception  of  Susan,  who 
kept  her  eyes  steadily  fixed  on  the  floor. 

"Susan  Drummond,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  "come 
here." 

There  was  something  in  her  tone  which  startled 
every  girl  in  the  school.  Never  had  they  heard 
this  ring  in  their  teacher's  voice  before. 

"  Susan,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  "  I  don't  ask  you  if 
you  are  guilty ;  I  fear,  poor  miserable  girl,  that  if  I 
did  you  would  load  your  conscience  with  a  fresh 
lie.  I-  don't  ask  you  if  you  are  guilty  because  I 
know  you  are.  The  fact  of  your  running  without 
leave  to  see  old  Betty  is  circumstantial  evidence.  I 
judge  you  by  that  and  pronounce  you  guilty.  Now, 
young  ladies,  you  who  have  treated  me  so  badly, 
who  have  betrayed  my  trust,  who  have  been  want- 
ing in  honor,  I  must  think,  I  must  ask  God  to  teach 
me  how  to  deal  with  you.  In  the  meantime,  you 
cannot  associate  with  your  companions.  Miss 
Good,  will  you  take  each  of  these  eight  girls  to  their 
bedrooms. " 

As  Annie  was  leaving  the  room  she  looked  full 


5858  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

into  Mrs.  Willis'  face.  Strange  to  say,  at  this 
moment  of  her  great  disgrace  the  cloud  which  had 
so  long  brooded  over  her  was  lifted.  The  sweet 
eyes  never  looked  sweeter.  The  old  Annie,  and  yet 
a  better  and  a  braver  Annie  than  had  ever  existed 
before,  followed  her  companions  out  of  the  school- 
room. 


259 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

IS   SHE   STILL   GUILTY  ? 

ON  THE  evening  of  that  day  Cecil  Temple  knocked 
at  the  door  of  Mrs.  Willis'  private  sitting-room. 

"  Ah,  Cecil !  is  that  you  ?"  said  her  governess. 
"  I  am  always  glad  to  see  you,  dear ;  but  I  happen 
to  be  particularly  busy  to-night.  Have  you  any- 
thing in  particular  to  say  to  me  ?" 

"  I  only  wanted  to  talk  about  Annie,  Mrs.  Willis. 
You  believe  in  her  at  last,  don't  you  ?" 

"  Believe  in  her  at  last !"  said  the  head-mistress  in 
a  tone  of  astonishment  and  deep  pain.  "  No,  Cecil, 
my  dear ;  you  ask  too  much  of  my  faith.  I  do  not 
believe  in  Annie." 

Cecil  paused ;  she  hesitated,  and  seemed  half 
afraid  to  proceed. 

"  Perhaps,"  she  said  at  last  in  a  slightly  timid 
tone,  "  you  have  not  seen  her  since  this  morning  ?" 

"  No ;  I  have  been  particularly  busy.  Besides, 
the  eight  culprits  are  under  punishment ;  part  of 
their  punishment  is  that  I  will  not  see  them." 

"  Don't  you  think,  Mrs.  Willis,"  said  Cecil,  "  that 
Annie  made  rather  a  brave  confession  this  morn- 
ing?" 

"  I  admit,  my  dear,  that  Annie  spoke  in  some- 


260  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

what  of  her  old  impulsive  way ;  she  blamed  herself, 
and  did  not  try  to  screen  her  misdemeanors  behind 
her  companions.  In  this  one  particular  she 
reminded  me  of  the  old  Annie  who,  notwithstand- 
ing all  her  faults,  I  used  to  trust  and  love.  But  as 
to  her  confession  being  very  brave,  my  dear  Cecil, 
you  must  remember  that  she  did  not  confess  until 
she  was  obliged  ;  she  knew,  and  so  did  all  the  other 
girls,  that  I  could  have  got  the  truth  out  of  old 
Betty  had  they  chosen  to  keep  their  lips  sealed. 
Then,  my  dear,  consider  what  she  did.  On  the 
very  night  that  I  was  away  she  violated  the  trust 
I  had  in  her — she  bade  me  '  good-bye  '  with  smiles 
and  sweet  glances,  and  then  she  did  this  in  my 
absence.  No,  Cecil,  I  fear  poor  Annie  is  not  what 
we  thought  her.  She  has  done  untold  mischief 
during  the  half-year,  and  has  willfully  lied  and  de- 
ceived me.  I  find,  on  comparing  dates,  that  it  was 
on  the  very  night  of  the  girls'  picnic  that  Dora's 
theme  was  changed.  There  is  no  doubt  whatever 
that  Annie  was  the  guilty  person.  I  did  my  best 
to  believe  in  her,  and  to  depend  on  Mr.  Everard's 
judgment  of  her  character,  but  I  confess  I  can  do  so 
no  longer.  Cecil,  dear,  I  am  not  surprised  that  you 
look  pale  and  sad.  No,  we  will  not  give  up  this 
poor  Annie  ;  we  will  try  to  love  her  even  through 
her  sin.  Ah  !  poor  child,  poor  child  !  how  much 
I  have  prayed  for  her !  She  was  to  me  as  a  child 
of  my  own.  Now,  dear  Cecil,  I  must  ask  you  to 
leave  me." 
Cecil  went  slowly  out  of  her  governess'  pres- 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  261 

ence,  and,  wandering  across  the  wide  stone  hall, 
she  entered  the  play-room.  It  happened  to  be  a  wet 
night,  and  the  room  was  full  of  girls,  who  hung 
together  in  groups  and  whispered  softly.  There 
were  no  loud  voices,  and,  except  from  the  little 
ones,  there  was  no  laughter.  A  great  depression 
hung  over  the  place,  and  few  could  have  recognized 
the  happy  girls  of  Lavender  House  in  these  sad 
young  faces.  Cecil  walked  slowly  into  the  room, 
and  presently  finding  Hester  Thornton,  she  sat 
down  by  her  side. 

"  I  can't  get  Mrs.  Willis  to  see  it,"  she  said  very 
sadly. 

"  What  ?"  asked  Hester. 

"Why,  that  we  have  got  our  old  Annie  back 
again ;  that  she  did  take  the  girls  out  to  that  pic- 
nic, and  was  as  wild,  and  reckless,  and  naughty  as 
possible  about  it ;  and  then,  just  like  the  old  Annie 
I  have  always  known,  the  moment  the  fun  was  over 
she  began  to  repent,  and  that  she  has  gone  on  re- 
penting ever  since,  which  has  accounted  for  her 
poor  sad  little  face  and  white  cheeks.  Of  course 
she  longed  to  tell — Nora  and  Phyllis  have  tola  me  so 
— but  she  would  not  betray  them.  Now  at  last 
there  is  a  load  off  her  heart,  and,  though  she  is  in 
great  disgrace  and  punishment,  she  is  not  very  un- 
happy. I  went  to  see  her  an  hour  ago,  and  I  saw 
in  her  face  that  my  own  darling  Annie  has  returned. 
But  what  do  you  think  Mrs.  Willis  does,  Hester? 
She  is  so  hurt  and  disappointed,  that  she  believes 
Annie  is  guilty  of  the  other  thing — she  believes  that 


262  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Annie  stole  Dora's  theme,  and  that  she  caricatured 
her  in  my  book  some  time  ago.  She  believes  it — 
she  is  sure  of  it.  Now,  do  you  think,  Hester,  that 
Annie's  face  would  look  quite  peaceful  and  happy 
to-night  if  she  had  only  confessed  half  her  faults — 
if  she  had  this  meanness,  this  sin,  these  lies  still 
resting  on  her  soul  ?  Oh  !  I  wish  Mrs.  Willis  would 
see  her  !  I  wish — I  wish  !  but  I  can  do  nothing. 
You  agree  with  me,  don't  you,  Hester?  Just  put 
yourself  in  Annie's  place,  and  tell  me  if  you  would 
feel  happy,  and  if  your  heart  would  be  at  rest,  if 
you  had  only  confessed  half  your  sin,  and  if 
through  you  all  your  schoolfellows  were  under 
disgrace  and  suspicion  ?  You  could  not,  could  you, 
Hester?  Why,  Hester,  how  white  you  are  !" 

"  You  are  so  metaphysical,"  said  Hester,  rising  ; 
"you  quite  puzzle  me.  How  can  I  put  myself  in 
your  friend  Annie's  place  ?  I  never  understood  her 
— I  never  wanted  to.  Put  myself  in  her  place  ? — no, 
certainly  that  I'm  never  likely  'to.  I  hope  that  I 
shall  never  be  in  such  a  predicament." 

Hester  walked  away,  and  Cecil  sat  still  in  great 
perplexity. 

Cecil  was  a  girl  with  a  true  sense  of  religion.  The 
love  of  God  guided  every  action  of  her  simple  and 
straightforward  life.  She  was  neither  beautiful  nor 
clever  ;  but  no  one  in  the  school  was  more  respected 
and  honored,  no  one  more  sincerely  loved.  Cecil 
knew  what  the  peace  of  G6d  meant,  and  when  she 
saw  even  a  shadowy  reflection  of  that  peace  on  An- 
nie's little  face,  she  was  right  in  believing  that  she 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  263 

must  be  innocent  of  the  guilt  which  was  attributed 
to  her. 

The  whole  school  assembled  for  prayers  that 
night  in  the  little  chapel,  and  Mr.  Everard,  who  had 
heard  the  story  of  that  day's  confession  from  Mrs. 
Willis,  said  a  few  words  appropriate  to  the  occasion 
to  the  unhappy  young  girls. 

Whatever  effect  his  words  had  on  the  others,  and 
they  were  very  simple  and  straightforward,  Annie's 
face  grew  quiet  and  peaceful  as  she  listened  to  them. 
The  old  clergyman  assured  the  girls  that  God  was 
waiting  to  forgive  those  who  truly  repented,  and 
that  the  way  to  repent  was  to  rise  up  and  sin  no 
more. 

"  The  present  fun  is  not  worth  the  after- pain,"  he 
said,  in  conclusion.  "  It  is  an  old  saying  that  stolen 
waters  are  sweet,  but  only  at  the  time ;  afterward 
only  those  who  drink  of  them  know  the  full  extent 
of  their  bitterness." 

This  little  address  from  Mr.  Everard  strengthened 
poor  Annie  for  an  ordeal  which  was  immediately 
before  her,  for  Mrs.  Willis  asked  all  the  school  to 
follow  her  to  the  play-room,  and  there  she  told  them 
that  she  was  about  to  restore  to  them  their  lost 
privileges ;  that  circumstances,  in  her  opinion,  now 
so  strongly  pointed  the  guilt  of  the  stolen  essay  in 
the  direction  of  one  girl,  that  she  could  no  longer 
ask  the  school  to  suffer  for  her  sake. 

"She  still  refuses  to  confess  her  sin,"  said  Mrs. 
Willis,  "but,  unless  another  girl  proclaims  herself 
guilty,  and  proves  to  me  beyond  doubt  that  she 


264  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

drew  the  caricature  which  was  found  in  Cecil  Tem- 
ple's book,  and  that  she  changed  Dora  Russell's 
essay,  and,  imitating  her  hand,  put  another  in  its 
place,  I  proclaim  the  guilty  person  to  be  Annie 
Forest,  and  on  her  alone  I  visit  my  displeasure. 
You  can  retire  to  your  rooms,  young  ladies.  To- 
morrow morning  Lavender  House  resumes  its  old 
cheerfulness." 


A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  265 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

HESTER'S  HOUR  OF  TRIAL. 

HOWEVER  calmly  or  however  peacefully  Annie 
slept  that  night,  poor  Hester  did  not  close  her  eyes. 
The  white  face  of  the  girl  she  had  wronged  and 
injured  kept  rising  before  her.  Why  had  she  so 
deceived  Annie  ?  Why  from  the  very  first  had  she 
turned  from  her,  and  misjudged  her,  and  misrepre- 
sented her  ?  Was  Annie,  indeed,  all  bad  ?  Hester 
had  to  own  to  herself  that  to-night  Annie  was  better 
than  she — was  greater  than  she.  Could  she  now 
have  undone  the  past,  she  would  not  have  acted  as 
she  had  done  ;  she  would  not  for  the  sake  of  a  little 
paltry  revenge  have  defiled  her  conscience  with  a 
lie,  have  told  her  governess  that  she  could  throw  no 
light  on  the  circumstance  of  the  stolen  essay.  This 
was  the  first  lie  Hester  had  ever  told ;  she  was  nat- 
urally both  straightforward  and  honorable,  but  her 
sin  of  sins,  that  which  made  her  hard  and  almost  un- 
lovable, was  an  intensely  proud  and  haughty  spirit. 
She  was  very  sorry  she  had  told  that  lie  ;  she  was  very 
sorry  she  had  yielded  to  that  temptation ;  but  not 
for  worlds  would  she  now  humble  herself  to  confess 
— not  for  worlds  would  she  let  the  school  know  of 
her  cowardice  and  shame.  No,  if  there  was  no  other 


266  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

means  of  clearing  Annie  except  through  her  confer 
sion,  she  must  remain  with  the  shadow  of  this  sin 
over  her  to  her  dying  day. 

Hester,  however,  was  now  really  unhappy,  and 
also  truly  sorry  for  poor  Annie.  Could  she  have 
got  off  without  disgrace  or  punishment,  she  would 
have  been  truly  glad  to  see  Annie  exonerated.  She 
was  quite  certain  that  Susan  Drummond  was  at  the 
bottom  of  all  the  mischief  which  had  been  done 
lately  at  Lavender  House.  She  could  not  make  out 
how  stupid  Susan  was  clever  enough  to  caricature 
and  to  imitate  peoples'  hands.  Still  she  was  con- 
vinced that  she  was  the  guilty  person,  and  she  won- 
dered and  wondered  if  she  could  induce  Susan  to 
come  forward  and  confess  the  truth,  and  so  save 
Annie  without  bringing  her,  Hester,  into  any 
trouble. 

She  resolved  to  speak  to  Susan,  and  without  con- 
fessing that  she  had  been  in  the  schoolroom  on  the 
night  the  essay  was  changed,  to  let  her  know  plainly 
that  she  suspected  her. 

She  became  much  calmer  when  she  determined  to 
carry  out  this  resolve,  and  toward  morning  she  fell 
asleep. 

She  was  awakened  at  a  very  early  hour  by  little 
Nan  clambering  over  the  side  of  her  crib,  and  cud- 
dling down  cozily  in  a  way  she  loved  by  Hester's 
side. 

"  Me  so  'nug,  'nug,"  said  little  Nan.  "  Oh,  Hetty, 
Hetty,  there's  a  wy  on  the  teiling  !" 

Hester  had  then  to  rouse  herself,  and  enter  into 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  267 

an  animated  conversation  on  the  subject  of  flies  gen- 
erally, and  in  especial  she  had  to  talk  of  that  partic- 
ular fly  which  would  perambulate  on  the  ceiling 
over  Nan's  head. 

"  Me  like  wies,"  said  Nan,  "  and  me  like  'oo, 
Hetty,  and  me  love — me  love  Annie." 

Hester  kissed  her  little  sister  passionately ;  but 
this  last  observation,  accompanied  by  the  expression 
of  almost  angelic  devotion  which  filled  little  Nan's 
brown  eyes,  as  she  repeated  that  she  liked  flies  and 
Hetty,  but  that  she  loved  Annie,  had  the  effect  oi 
again  hardening  her  heart. 

Hester's  hour  of  trial,  however,  was  at  hand,  and 
before  that  day  was  over  she  was  to  experience  that 
awful  emptiness  and  desolation  which  those  know 
Whom  God  is  punishing. 

Lessons  went  on  as  usual  at  Lavender  House  that 
morning,  and,  to  the  surprise  of  several,  Annie  was 
seen  in  her  old  place  in  class.  She  worked  with  a 
steadiness  quite  new  to  her ;  no  longer  interlarding 
her  hours  of  study  with  those  indescribable  glances 
of  fun  and  mischief,  first  at  one  school-companion 
and  then  at  another,  which  used  to  worry  her 
teachers  so  much. 

There  were  no  merry  glances  from  Annie  that 
morning ;  but  she  worked  steadily  and  rapidly,  and 
went  through  that  trying  ordeal,  her  French  verbs, 
with  such  satisfaction  that  mademoiselle  was  on  the 
point  of  praising  her,  until  she  remembered  that 
Annie  was  in  disgrace. 

After  school,  however,   Annie  did  not  join  her 


268  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

companions  in  the  grounds,  but  went  up  to  her  bed- 
room, where,  by  Mrs.  Willis'  orders,  she  was  to 
remain  until  the  girls  went  in.  She  was  to  take  her 
own  exercise  later  in  the  day. 

It  was  now  the  tenth  of  June — an  intensely  sultry 
day ;  a  misty  heat  brooded  over  everything,  and  not 
a  breath  of  air  stirred  the  leaves  in  the  trees  The 
girls  wandered  about  languidly,  too  enervated  by 
the  heat  to  care  to  join  in  any  noisy  games.  They 
were  now  restored  to  their  full  freedom,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  they  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  having 
little  confabs,  and  whispering  secrets  to  each  other 
without  having  Miss  Good  and  Miss  Danesbury  for- 
ever at  their  elbows.  They  talked  of  many  things 
— of  the  near  approach  of  the  holidays,  of  the  prize 
day  which  was  now  so  close  at  hand,  of  Annie's  dis- 
grace, and  so  on. 

They  wondered,  many  of  them,  if  Annie  would 
ever  be  brought  to  confess  her  sin.  and,  if  not  how 
Mrs.  Willis  would  act  toward  her.  Dora  Russell 
said  in  her  most  contemptuous  tones  : 

"She  is  nothing,  after  all.  but  a  charity  child, 
and  Mrs.  Willis  has  supported  her  for  years  for 
nothing." 

"  Yes,  and  she's  too  clever  by  half ;  eh,  poor  old 
Muddy  Stream  ?"  remarked  a  saucy  little  girl. 
"By  the  way,  Dora,  dear,  how  goes  the  river 
now  ?  Has  it  lost  itself  in  the  arms  of  mother  ocean 
yet  ?" 

Dora  turned  red  and  walked  away  and  her  young 
tormentor  exclaimed  with  considerable  gusto  .• 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  There,  I  have  silenced  her  for  a  bit ;  I  do  hate 
the  way  she  talks  about  charity  children.  What- 
ever her  faults,  Annie  is  the  sweetest  and  prettiest 
girl  in  the  school,  in  my  opinion." 

In  the  meantime  Hester  was  looking  in  all  direc- 
tions for  Susan  Drummond.  She  thought  the  pres- 
ent a  very  fitting  opportunity  to  open  her  attack  on 
her,  and  she  was  the  more  anxious  to  bring  her  ta 
reason  as  a  certain  look  in  Annie's  face — a  pallid 
and  very  weary  look — had  gone  to  her  heart,  and 
touched  her  in  spite  of  herself.  Now,  even  though 
little  Nan  loved  her,  Hester  would  save  Annie 
could  she  do  so  not  at  her  own  expense. 

Look,  however,  as  she  would,  nowhere  could  she 
find  Miss  Drummond.  She  called  and  called,  but 
no  sleepy  voice  replied.  Susan,  indeed,  knew  bet- 
ter ;  she  had  curled  herself  up  in  a  hammock  which 
hung  between  the  boughs  of  a  shady  tree,  and 
though  Hester  passed  under  her  very  head,  she  was 
sucking  lollipops  and  going  off  comfortably  into  the 
land  of  dreams,  and  had  no  intention  of  replying 
Hester  wandered  down  the  shady  walk,  and  at  its 
farther  end  she  was  gratified  by  the  sight  of  little 
Nan.  who,  under  her  nurse's  charge,  was  trying  tc- 
string  daisies  on  the  grass  Hester  sat  down  by  her  , 
side,  and  Nan  climbed  over  and  made  fine  havoc  of 
her  neat  print  dress,  and  laughed,  and  was  at  her 
merriest  and  best. 

"I  hear  say  that  that  naughty  Miss  Forest  has. 
done  something  out-and-out  disgraceful,"  whispered* 
the  nurse. 


270  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"Oh,  don't,"  said  Hester  impatiently.  "Why 
.  should  every  one  throw  mud  at  a  girl  when  she  is 
down  ?  If  poor  Annie  is  naughty  and  guilty,  she  is 
suffering  now." 

"Annie  not  naughty,"  said  little  Nan.  "Me  love 
my  own  Annie  ;  me  do,  me  do." 

"And  you  love  your  own  poor  old  nurse,  too?" 
responded  the  somewhat  jealous  nurse. 

Hester  left  the  two  playing  happily  together,  the 
little  one  caressing  her  nurse,  and  blowing  one  or 
two  kisses  after  her  sister's  retreating  form.  Hester 
returned  to  the  house  and  went  up  to  her  room  to 
prepare  for  dinner  She  had  washed  her  hands,  and 
was  standing  before  the  looking-glass  re-plaiting  her 
longhair,  when  Susan  Drummond,  looking  extremely 
wild  and  excited,  and  with  her  eyes  almost  starting 
out  of  her  head,  rushed  into  the  room. 

"Oh,  Hester,  Hester  !"  she'gasped,  and  she  flung 
herself  on  Hester's  bed,  with  her  face  downward ; 
she  seemed  absolutely  deprived  for  the  moment  of 
the  power  of  any  further  speech. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Susan?"  inquired  Hester 
half  impatiently.  "  What  have  you  come  into  my 
room  for  ?  Are  you  going  into  a  fit  of  hysterics  ? 
You  had  better  control  yourself,  for  the  dinner  gong 
will  sound  directly  " 

Susan  gasped  two  or  three  times,  made  a  rush  to 
Hesters  wash  hand  stand,  and,  taking  up  a  glass, 
poured  some  cold  water  into  it,  and  gulped  it  down. 

"  Now  I  can  speak,'  she  said.  "  I  ran  so  fast  that 
my  breath  quite  left  me  Hester,  put  on  your  walk- 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  271 

ing  things  or  go  without  them,  just  as  you  please — 
only  go  at  once  if  you  would  save  her" 

"Save  whom?'  asked  Hester. 

"Your  little  sister — little  Nan.  I — I  saw  it  all. 
I  was  in  the  hammock,  and  nobody  knew  I  was 
there,  and  somehow  I  wasn't  so  sleepy  as  usual,  and 
I  heard  Nan's  voice,  and  I  looked  over  the  side  of 
tke  hammock,  and  she  was  sitting  on  the  grass  pick- 
ing daisies,  and  her  nurse  was  with  her,  and  pres- 
ently you  came  up.  I  heard  you  calling  me,  but  I 
wasn't  going  to  answer.  I  felt  too  comfortable. 
You  stayed  with  Nan  and  her  nurse  for  a  little,  and 
then  went  away ,  and  I  heard  Nan  s  nurse  say  to 
her :  Sit  here,  missy,  till  I  come  back  to  you ;  1 
am  going  to  fetch  another  reel  of  sewing  cotton 
from  the  house  Sit  still,  missy .  I'll  be  back  di- 
rectly.' She  went  away,  and  Nan  went  on  picking 
her  daisies.  All  on  a  sudden  1  heard  Nan  give  a 
sharp  little  cry,  and  I  looked  over  the  hammock, 
and  there  was  a  tall,  dark  woman,  with  such  a 
wicked  face,  and  she  snatched  up  Nan  in  her  arms, 
and  put  a  thick  shawl  over  her  face,  and  ran  off 
with  hen  It  was  all  done  in  an  instant  1  shouted 
and  I  scrambled  out  of  the  hammock,  and  I  rushed 
down  the  path  but  there  wasn't  a  sign  of  anybody 
there.  I  don't  know  where  the  woman  went — it 
seemed  as  if  the  earth  swallowed  up  both  her  and 
little  Nan.  Why,  Hester,  are  you  going  to  faint?" 

"Water!"  gasped  Hester — "one  sip — now  let  me 
go." 


272  A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XL. 

A    GYPSY   MAID. 

IN  A  FEW  moments  every  one  in  Lavender  House 
was  made  acquainted  with  Susan's  story.  At  such  a 
time  ceremony  was  laid  aside,  dinner  forgotten, 
teachers,  pupils,  servants  all  congregated  in  the 
grounds,  all  rushed  to  the  spot  where  Nan's  withered 
daisies  still  lay,  all  peered  through  the  underwood, 
and  all,  alas !  looked  in  vain  lor  the  tali  dark  woman 
and  the  little  child.  Little  Nan,  the  baby  of  the 
school,  had  been  stolen — there  were  loud  and 
terrified  lamentations.  Nan's  nurse  was  almost 
tearing  her  hair,  was  rushing  franticaJly  here,  there, 
and  everywhere.  No  one  blamed  the  nurse  for  leav- 
ing her  little  charge  in  apparent  safety  for  a  few 
moments,  but  the  poor  woman's  own  distress  was 
pitiable  to  see  Mrs.  Willis  took  Hester's  hand,  and 
told  the  poor  stunned  girl  that  she  was  sending  to 
Sefton  immediately  for  two  or  three  policemen,  and 
that  in  the  meantime  every  man  on  the  place  should 
commence  the  search  for  the  woman  and  child. 

"Without  any  doubt,"  Mrs  Willis  added,  "we 
shall  soon  have  our  little  Nan  back  again  ;  it  is  quite 
impossible  that  the  woman,  whoever  she  is,  can  have 
taken  her  so  far  away  in  so  short  a  time." 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  273 

In  the  meantime,  Annie  in  her  bedroom  heard 
th'e  fuss  and  the  noise.  She  leaned  out  of  her  win- 
dow and  saw  Phyllis  in  the  distance ;  she  called  to 
her.  Phyllis  ran  up,  the  tears  streaming  down  her 
cheeks. 

"Oh,  something  so  dreadful!"  she  gasped;  "a 
wicked,  wicked  woman  has  stolen  little  Nan  Thorn- 
ton. She  ran  off  with  her  just,  where  the  under- 
growth is  so  thick  at  the  end  of  the  shady  walk.  It 
happened  to  her  half  an  hour  ago,  and  they  are  all 
looking,  but  they  cannot  find  the  woman  or  little 
Nan  anywhere.  Oh,  it  is  so  dreadful !  Is  that  you, 
Mary  ?" 

Phyllis  ran  off  to  join  her  sister,  and  Annie  put 
her  head  in  again,  and  looked  round  her  pretty 
room. 

"The  gypsy/'  she  murmured,  "the  tall,  dark 
gypsy  has  taken  little  Nan  !" 

Her  face  was  very  white,  her  eyes  shone,  her  lips 
expressed  a  firm  and  almost  obstinate  determi- 
nation. With  all  her  usual  impulsiveness,  she  decided 
on  a  course  of  action — she  snatched  up  a  piece  of 
paper  and  scribbled  a  hasty  line  : 

"  DEAR  MOTHER  FRIEND  : — However  badly  you 
think  of  Annie,  Annie  loves  you  with  all  her  heart. 
Forgive  me,  I  must  go  myself  to  look  for  little  Nan. 
That  tall  dark  woman  is  a  gypsy — I  have  seen  her 
before  ;  her  name  is  Mother  Rachel.  Tell  Hetty  I 
won  t  return  until  I  bring  her  little  sister  back.— 
Your  repentant  and  sorrowful  ANNIE." 


274  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Annie  twisted  up  the  note,  directed  it  to  Mra 
Willis,  and  left  it  on  her  dressing-table. 

Then,  with  a  wonderful  amount  of  forethought 
for  her,  she  emptied  the  contents  of  a  little  purse 
into  a  tiny  gingham  bag,  which  she  fastened  inside 
the  front  of  her  dress.  She  put  on  her  shady  hat, 
and  threw  a  shawl  across  her  arm,  and  then,  slipping 
softly  downstairs,  she  went  out  through  the  deserted 
kitchens,  down  the  back  avenue,  and  past  the  laurel 
bush,  until  she  came  to  the  stile  which  led  into  the 
wood — she  was  going  straight  to  the  gypsies'  en- 
campment. 

Annie,  with  some  of  the  gypsy's  characteristics  in 
her  own  blood,  had  always  taken  an  extraordinary 
interest  in  these  queer  wandering  people.  Gypsies 
had  a  fascination  for  her,  she  loved  stories  about 
them  ;  if  a  gypsy  encampment  was  near,  she  always 
begged  the  teachers  to  walk  in  that  direction. 
Annie  had  a  very  vivid  imagination,  and  in  the  days 
when  she  reigned  as  favorite  in  the  school  she  used 
to  make  up  stories  for  the  express  benefit  of  her 
companions.  These  stories,  as  a  rule,  always  turned 
upon  the  gypsies.  Many  and  many  a  time  had  the 
girls  of  Lavender  House  almost  gasped  with  horror 
as  Annie  described  the  queer  ways  of  these  people. 
For  her,  personally,  their  wildness  and  their  freedom 
had  a  certain  fascination,  and  she  was  heard  in  her 
gayest  moments  to  remark  that  she  would  rather 
like  to  be  stolen  and  adopted  by  a  gypsy  tribe. 

Whenever  Annie  had  an  opportunity,  she  chatted 
with  the  gypsy  wives,  and  allowed  them  to  tell  hef 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  275 

fortune,  and  listened  eagerly  to  their  narratives. 
When  a  little  child  she  had  once  for  several  months 
been  under  the  care  of  a  nurse  who  was  a  reclaimed 
gypsy,  and  this  girl  had  given  her  all  kinds  of  infor- 
mation about  them.  Annie  often  felt  that  she  quite 
loved  these  wild  people,  and  Mother  Rachel  was 
the  first  gypsy  she  cordially  shrank  from  and  disliked. 

When  the  little  girl  started  now  on  her  wild-goose 
chase  after  Nan,  she  was  by  no  means  devoid  of  a 
plan  of  action.  The  knowledge  she  had  taken  so 
many  years  to  acquire  came  to  her  aid,  and  she  de- 
termined to  use  it  for  Nan's  benefit.  She  knew 
that  the  gypsies,  with  all  their  wandering  and  erratic 
habits,  had  a  certain  attachment,  if  not  for  homes, 
at  least  for  sites  ;  she  knew  that  as  a  rule  they  en- 
camped over  and  over  again  in  the  same  place  ;  she 
knew  that  their  wanderings  were  conducted  with 
method,  and  their  apparently  lawless  lives  governed 
by  strict  self-made  rules. 

Annie  made  straight  now  for  the  encampment, 
which  stood  in  a  little  dell  at  the  other  side  of  the 
fairies'  field.  Here  for  weeks  past  the  gypsies'  tents 
had  been  seen  ;  here  the  gypsy  children  had  played, 
and  the  men  and  women  smoked  and  lain  about  in 
the  sun. 

Annie  entered  the  small  field  now,  but  uttered  no 
exclamation  of  surprise  when  she  found  that  all  the 
tents,  with  the  exception  of  one,  had  been  removed, 
and  that  this  tent  also  was  being  rapidly  taken  down 
by  a  man  and  a  girl,  while  a  tall  boy  stood  by, 
holding  a  donkey  by  the  bridle. 


276  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Annie  wasted  no  time  in  looking-  for  Nan  here. 
Before  the  girl  and  the  man  could  see  her,  she  darted 
behind  a  bush,  and  removing  her  little  bag  of 
money,  hid  it  carefully  under  some  long  grass ;  then 
she  pulled  a  very  bright  yellow  sash  out  of  her 
pocket,  tied  it  round  her  blue  cotton  dress,  and  leav- 
ing her  little  shawl  also  on  the  ground,  tripped  gaily 
up  to  the  tent. 

She  saw  with  pleasure  that  the  girl  who  was  help- 
ing the  man  was  about  her  own  size.  She  went  up 
and  touched  her  on  the  shoulder. 

"  Look  here,"  she  said,  "  I  want  to  make  such  a 
pretty  play  by-and-by — I  want  to  play  that  I'm  a 
gypsy  girl.  Will  you  give  me  your  clothes,  if  I  give 
you  mine  ?  See,  mine  are  neat,  and  this  sash  is  very 
handsome.  Will  you  have  them?  Do.  I  am  so 
anxious  to  play  at  being  a  gypsy." 

The  girl  turned  and  stared.  Annie's  pretty  blue 
print  and  gay  sash  were  certainly  tempting  bait. 
She  glanced  at  her  father. 

"  The  little  lady  wants  to  change,"  she  said  in  an 
eager  voice. 

The  man  nodded  acquiescence,  and  the  girl  taking 
Annie's  hand,  ran  quickly  with  her  to  the  bottom  of 
the  field. 

"  You  don't  mean  it,  surely  ?"  she  said.  "  Eh, 
but  I'm  uncommon  willing." 

"Yes,  I  certainly  mean  it,"  said  Annie.  "You 
are  a  dear,  good,  obliging  girl,  and  how  nice  you 
will  look  in  my  pretty  blue  cotton  !  I  like  that 
etriped  petticoat  of  yours,  too,  and  that  gay  hand* 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  ?77 

kerchief  you  wear  round  your  shoulders.  Than* 
you  so  very  much.  Now,  do  I  look  like  a  real, 
real  gypsy  ?" 

"  Your  hair  ain't  ragged  enough,  miss." 

"  Oh,  clip  it,  then  ;  clip  it  away.  I  want  to  be 
quite  the  real  thing.  Have  you  got  a  pair  of  scis- 
sors ?" 

The.  girl  ran  back  to  the  tent,  and  presently  re- 
turned to  shear  poor  Annie's  beautiful  hair  in  truly 
rough  fashion. 

"  Now,  miss,  you  look  much  more  like,  only  your 
arms  are  a  bit  too  white.  Stay,  we  has  got  some 
walnut- juice  ;  we  was  just  a-using  of  it.  I'll  touch 
you  up  fine,  miss." 

So  she  did,  darkening  Annie's  brown  skin  to  a 
real  gypsy  tone. 

"  You're  a  dear,  good  girl,"  said  Annie,  in  conclu- 
sion ;  and  as  the  girl's  father  called  her  roughly  at 
this  moment,  she  was  obliged  to  go  away,  looking 
ungainly  enough  in  the  English  child's  neat  clothes. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XLL 

DISGUISED. 

ANNIE  ran  out  of  the  field,  mounted  the  stile 
which  led  into  the  wood,  and  stood  there  until  the 
gypsy  man  and  girl,  and  the  boy  with  the  don- 
key, had  finally  disappeared.  Then  she  left  her 
hiding-place,  and  taking  her  little  gingham  bag  out 
of  the  long  grass,  secured  it  once  more  in  the  front 
of  her  dress.  She  felt  queer  and  uncomfortable  in 
her  new  dress,  and  the  gypsy  girl's  heavy  shoes  tired 
her  feet;  but  she  was  not  to  be  turned  from  her 
purpose  by  any  manner  of  discomforts,  and  she 
started  bravely  on  her  long  trudge  over  the  dusty 
roads,  for  her  object  was  to  follow  the  gypsies  to 
their  next  encampment,  about  ten  miles  away. 
She  had  managed,  with  some  tact,  to  obtain  a  cer- 
tain amount  of  information  from  the  delighted  gypsy 
girl.  The  girl  told  Annie  that  she  was  very  glad 
they  were  going  from  here ;  that  this  was  a  very 
dull  place,  and  that  they  would  not  have  stayed  so 
long  but  for  Mother  Rachel,  who,  for  some  reasons 
of  her  own,  had  refused  to  stir. 

Here  the  girl  drew  herself  up  short,  and  colored 
under  her  dark  skin.  But  Annie's  tact  never  failed. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  279 

She  even  yawned  a  little,  and  seemed  scarcely  to 
hear  the  girl's  words. 

Now,  in  the  distance,  she  followed  these  people. 

In  her  disguise,  uncomfortable  as  it  was,  she  felt 
tolerably  safe.  Should  any  of  the  people  in  Laven^ 
der  House  happen  to  pass  her  on  the  way,  they 
would  never  recognize  Annie  Forest  in  this  small 
gypsy  maiden.  When  she  did  approach  the  gyp- 
sies' dwelling  she  might  have  some  hope  of  passing 
as  one  of  themselves.  The  only  one  whom  she  had 
really  to  fear  was  the  girl  with  whom  she  had 
changed  clothes,  and  she  trusted  to  her  wits  to  keep 
out  of  this  young  person's  way. 

When  Zillah,  her  old  gypsy  nurse,  had  charmed 
her  long  ago  with  gypsy  legends  and  stories, 
Annie  had  always  begged  to  hear  about  the  fair 
English  children  whom  the  gypsies  stole,  and  Zillah 
had  let  her  into  some  secrets  which  partly  accounted 
for  the  fact  that  so  few  of  these  children  are  ever 
recovered. 

She  walked  very  fast  now  ;  her  depression  was 
gone,  a  great  excitement,  a  great  longing,  a  great 
hope,  keeping  her  up.  She  forgot  that  she  had 
eaten  nothing  since  breakfast ;  she  forgot  everything 
in  all  the  world  now  but  her  great  love  for  little  Nan, 
and  her  desire  to  lay  down  her  very  life,  if  neces- 
sary, to  rescue  Nan  from  the  terrible  fate  which 
awaited  her  if  she  was  brought  up  as  a  gypsy's 
child. 

Annie,  however,  was  unaccustomed  to  such  long 
walks,  and  besides,  recent  events  had  weakened 


280  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

hei,  and  by  the  time  she  reached  Sefton — for  her 
road  lay  straight  through  this  little  town — she  was 
so  hot  and  thirsty  that  she  looked  around  her 
anxiously  to  find  some  place  of  refreshment. 

In  an  unconscious  manner  she  paused  before  a 
restaurant,  where  she  and  several  other  girls  of  Lav- 
ender House  had  more  than  once  been  regaled  with 
buns  and  milk. 

The  remembrance  of  the  fresh  milk  and  the  nice 
buns  came  gratefully  before  the  memory  of  the 
tired  child  now.  Forgetting  her  queer  attire,  she 
went  into  the  shop,  and  walked  boldly  up  to  the 
counter. 

Annie's  disguise,  however,  was  good,  and  the 
young  woman  who  was  serving,  instead  of  bending 
forward  with  the  usual  gracious  "What  can  I  get 
for  you,  miss  ?"  said  very  sharply  : 

"Go  away  at  once,  little  girl ;  we  don't  allow  beg- 
gars here  ;  leave  the  shop  instantly.  No,  I  have 
nothing  for  you." 

Annie  was  about  to  reply  rather  hotly,  for  she 
had  an  idea  that  even  a  gypsy's  money  might  pur- 
chase buns  and  milk,  when  she  was  suddenly  star- 
tled, and  almost  terrified  into  betraying  herself,  by 
encountering  the  gentle  and  fixed  stare  of  Miss 
Jane  Bruce,  who  had  been  leaning  over  the  counter 
and  talking  to  one  of  the  shop-women  when  Annie 
entered. 

"  Here  is  a  penny  for  you,  little  girl, '  she  said. 
"You  can  get  a  nice  hunch  of  stale  bread  for  a 
penny  in  the  shop  at  the  corner  of  the  High 
street" 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS  281 

Annie's  eyes  flashed  back  at  the  little  lady,  her 
lips  quivered,  and,  clasping  the  penny,  she  rushed 
out  of  the  shop. 

"My  dear,'  said  Miss  Jane,  turning  to  her  sister, 
"did  you  notice  the  extraordinary  likeness  that 
little  gypsy  girl  bore  to  Annie  Forest  ?' 

Miss  Agnes  sighed  "Not'  particularly,  love," 
she  answered;  "but  I  scarcely  looked  at  her  I 
wonder  if  our  dear  little  Annie  is  any  happier  than 
she  was.  Ah,  I  think  we  have  done  here.  Good- 
afternoon,  Mrs  Tremlett  " 

The  little  old  ladies  trotted  off,  giving  no  more 
thoughts  to  the  gypsy  child. 

Poor  Annie  almost  ran  down  the  street,  and  never 
paused  till  she  reached  a  shop  of  much  humbler  ap- 
pearance, where  she  was  served  with  some  cold 
slices  of  German  sausage,  some  indifferent  bread 
and  butter,  and  milk  by  no  means  over -good  The 
coarse  fare,  and  the  rough  people  who  surrounded 
her,  made  the  poor  child  feel  both  sick  and  frightened. 
She  found  she  could  only  keep  up  her  character 
by  remaining  almost  silent,  for  the  moment  she 
opened  her  lips  people  turned  round  and  stared  at 
her. 

She  paid  for  her  meal  however,  and  presently  found 
herself  at  the  other  side  of  Seftcn,  and  in  a  part  of 
the  country  which  was  comparatively  strange  to 
her  The  gypsies'  present  encampment  was  about  a 
mile  away  from  the  town  of  Oakley,  a  much  larger 
place  than  Sefton.  Sefton  and  Oakley  lay  about  six 
miles  apart.  Annie  trudged  bravely  on,  her  head 


282  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

aching :  for,  of  course  as  a  gypsy  girl,  she  could  use 
no  parasol  to  shade  her  from  the  sun.  At  last  the 
comparative  cool  of  the  evening  arrived,  and  the  lit- 
tle girl  gave  a  sigh  of  relief,  and  looked  forward  to 
her  bed  and  supper  at  Oakley.  She  had  made  up 
her  mind  to  sleep  there,  and  to  go  to  the  gypsies'  en- 
campment very  early  in  the  morning.  It  was  quite 
dark  by  the  time  she  reached  Oakley,  and  she  was 
now  so  tired,  and  her  feet  so  blistered  from  walking 
in  the  gypsy  girl's  rough  shoes,  that  she  could 
scarcely  proceed  another  step.  The  noise  and  the 
size  of  Oakley,  too,  bewildered  and  frightened  her. 
She  had  learned  a  lesson  in  Sefton,  and  dared  not 
venture  into  the  more  respectable  streets.  How 
could  she  sleep  in  those  hot,  common,  close  houses  ? 
Surely  it  would  be  better  for  her  to  lie  down  under 
a  cool  hedgerow — there  could  be  no  real  cold  on 
this  lovely  summer's  night,  and  the  hours  would 
quickly  pass,  and  the  time  soon  arrive  when  she 
must  go  boldly  in  search  of  Nan.  She  resolved  to 
sleep  in  a  hayfield  which  took  her  fancy  just 
outside  the  town,  and  she  only  went  into 
Oakley  for  the  purpose  of  buying  some  bread  and 
milk. 

Annie  was  so  far  fortunate  as  to  get  a  refreshing 
draught  of  really  good  milk  from  a  woman  who 
stood  by  a  cottage  door,  and  who  gave  her  a  piece  of 
girdle-cake  to  eat  with  it. 

"You're  one  of  the  gypsies,  my  dear?"  said  the 
woman.  "  I  saw  them  passing  in  their  caravans  an 
hour  back.  No  doubt  you  are  for  taking  up  your 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  283 

old  quarters  in  the  copse,  just  alongside  of  Squire 
Thompson's  long1  acre  field.  How  is  it  you  are  not 
with  the  rest  of  them,  child?" 

"  I  was  late  in  starting,"  said  Annie.  "  Can  you 
tell  me  the  best  way  to  get  from  here  to  the  long 
acre  field?" 

"  Ok,  you  take  that  turn-stile,  child,  and  keep  in 
the  narrow  path  by  the  corn-fields ;  it's  two  miles  and 
a  half  from  here  as  the  crows  flies.  No,  no,  my  dear, 
I  don't  want  your  pennies ;  but  you  might  humor 
my  little  girl  here  by  telling  her  fortune — she's 
wonderful  taken  by  the  gypsy  folk." 

Annie  colored  painfully.  The  child  came  for- 
ward, and  crossed  her  hand  with  a  piece  of  silver. 
She  looked  at  the  little  palm  and  muttered  some- 
thing about  being  rich  and  fortunate,  and  marrying 
a  prince  in  disguise,  and  having  no  trouble  what- 
ever. 

"  Eh !  but  that's  a  fine  lot,  is  yours,  Peggy,"  said 
the  gratified  mother. 

Peggy,  however,  aged  nine,  had  a  wiser  head  on 
her  young  shoulders. 

"She  didn't  tell  no  proper  fortune,"  she  said  dis- 
paragingty,  when  Annie  left  the  cottage.  "She 
didn't  speak  about  no  crosses,  and  no  biting  disap- 
pointments, and  no  bleeding  wounds.  I  don't  be- 
lieve in  her,  I  don't.  I  like  fortunes  mixed,  not  all 
one  way;  them  fortunes  ain't  natural,  and  I  don't 
believe  she's  no  proper  gypsy  girl." 


264*  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XLIL 

HESTER. 

AT  LAVENDER  House  the  confusion,  the  terror,  and 
the  dismay  were  great.  For  several  hours  the  girls 
seemed  quite  to  lose  their  heads,  and  just  when, 
under  Mrs.  Willis'  and  the  other  teachers'  calmness 
and  determination,  they  were  being  restored  to  dis- 
cipline and  order,  the  excitement  and  alarm  broke 
out  afresh  when  some  one  brought  Annie's  little  note 
to  Mrs.  Willis,  and  the  school  discovered  that  she 
also  was  missing. 

On  this  occasion  no  one  did  doubt  her  motive; 
disobedient  as  her  act  was  no  one  wasted  words  of 
blame  on  her.  All,  from  the  head-mistress  to  the 
smallest  child  in  the  school,  knew  that  it  was  love 
for  little  Nan  that  had  taken  Annie  off;  and  the 
tears  started  to  Mrs  Willis  eyes  when  she  first  read 
the  tiny  note,  and  then  placed  3it  tenderly  in  her 
desk.  Hester's  face  became  almost  ashen  in  its  hue 
when  she  heard  what  Annie  had  done. 

"Annie  has  gone  herself  to  bring  back  Nan  to 
you,  Hester,"  said  Phyllis.  "  It  was  I  told  her,  and 
I  know  now  by  her  face  that  she  must  have  made 
up  her  mind  at  once." 

"Very    disobedient    of    her    to     go,"  said  Dora 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  285 

Russell ;  but  no  one  took  up  Dora's  tone,  and  Mary 
Price  said,  after  a  pause : 

"  Disobedient  or  not,  it  was  brave — it  was  really 
very  plucky.'* 

"  It  is  my  opinion,"  said  Nora,  "  that  if  any  one 
in  the  world  can  find  little  Nan  it  will  be  Annie. 
You  remember,  Phyllis,  how  often  she  has  talked  to 
us  about  gypsies,  and  what  a  lot  she  knows  about 
them  ?" 

"Oh,  yes;  she'll  be  better  than  fifty  policemen," 
echoed  several  girls ;  and  then  two  or  three  young 
faces  were  turned  toward  Hester,  and  some  voice 
said  almost  scornfully : 

'  You'll  have  to  love  Annie  now ;  you'll  have  to 
admit  that  there  is  something  good  in  our  Annie 
when  she  brings  your  little  Nan  home  again." 

Hesters  lip  quivered;  she  tried  to  speak,  but  a 
sudden  burst  of  tears  came  from  her  instead.  She 
walked  slowly  out  of  the  astonished  little  group, 
wno  none  of  them  believed  that  proud  Hester 
Thornton  could  weep. 

The  wretched  girl  rushed  up  to  her  room,  where 
she  threw  herself  o  i  her  bed  and  gave  way  to  some  of 
the  bitterest  tears  she  had  ever  shed.  All  her  indiffer- 
ence to  Annie,  all  her  real  unkindness,  all  her  ever- 
increasing  dislike  came  back  now  to  torture  and 
harass  her.  She  began  to  believe  with  the  girls 
that  Annie  would  be  successful ;  she  began  dimly  to 
acknowledge  in  her  heart  the  strange  power  which 
this  child  possessed ;  she  guessed  that  Annie  would 
heap  coals  of  fire  on  her  head  by  bringing  back  her 


286  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

little  sister.  She  hoped,  she  longed,  she  could  almost 
have  found  it  in  her  heart  to  pray  that  some  one 
else,  not  Annie,  might  save  little  Nan. 

For  not  yet  had  Hester  made  up  her  mind  to  con- 
fess the  truth  about  Annie  Forest.  To  confess  the 
truth  now  meant  humiliation  in  the  eyes  of  the  whole 
school.  Even  for  Nan's  sake  she  could  not, 
she  would  not  be  great  enough  for  this. 

Sobbing  on  her  bed,  trembling  from  head  to  foot, 
in  an  agony  of  almost  uncontrollable  grief,  she  could 
not  bring  her  proud  and  stubborn  little  heart  to 
accept  God's  only  way  of  peace.  No,  she  hoped  she 
might  be  able  to  influence  Susan  Drummond  and 
induce  her  to  confess,  and  if  Annie  was  "hot  cleared 
in  that  way,  if  she  really  saved  little  Nan,  she  would 
doubtless  be  restored  to  much  of  her  lost  favor  in 
the  school. 

Hester  had  never  been  a  favorite  at  Lavender 
House ;  but  now  her  great  trouble  caused  all  the 
girls  to  speak  to  her  kindly  and  considerately,  and 
as  she  lay  on  her  bed  she  presently  heard  a  gentle 
step  on  the  floor  of  her  room — a  cool  little  hand 
was  laid  tenderly  on  her  forehead,  and  opening  her 
swollen  eyes,  she  met  Cecil's  loving  gaze. 

"  There  is  no  news  yet,  Hester,"  said  Cecil ;  "  but 
Mrs.  Willis  has  just  gone  herself  into  Sefton,  and 
will  not  lose  an  hour  in  getting  further  help.  Mrs, 
Willis  looks  quite  haggard.  Of  course  she  is  very 
anxious  both  about  Annie  and  Nan." 

"  Oh,  Annie  is  safe  enough,"  murmured  Hester, 
burying  her  head  in  the  bedclothes. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  287 

"  I  don't  know ;  Annie  is  very  impulsive  and  very 
pretty ;  the  gypsies  may  like  to  steal  her  too— of 
course  she  has  gone  straight  to  one  of  their  encamp- 
ments. Naturally  Mrs.  Willis  is  most  anxious." 

Hester  pressed  her  hand  to  her  throbbing  head. 

"We  are  all  so  sorry  for  you,  dear,"  said  Cecil 
gently. 

"  Thank  you — being  sorry  for  one  does  not  do  a 
great  deal  of  good,  does  it  ?" 

"  I  thought  sympathy  always  did  good,"  replied 
Cecil,  looking  puzzled. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Hester  again.  She  lay  quite 
still  for  several  minutes  with  her  eyes  closed.  Her 
face  looked  intensely  unhappy.  Cecil  was  not  easily 
repelled  and  she  guessed  only  too  surely  that 
Hester's  proud  heart  was  suffering  much.  She  was 
puzzled,  however,  how  to  approach  her,  and  had 
almost  made  up  her  mind  to  go  away  and  beg  of 
kind-hearted  Miss  Danesbury  to  see  if  she  could 
come  and  do  something,  when  through  the  open 
window  there  came  the  shrill  sweet  laughter  and  the 
eager,  high-pitched  tones  of  some  of  the  youngest 
children  in  the  school.  A  strange  quiver  passed 
over  Hester's  face  at  the  sound  ;  she  sat  up  in  bed, 
and  gasped  out  in  a  half-strangled  voice  : 

"  Oh  !  I  can't  bear  it— little  Nan,  little  Nan  ! 
Cecil,  I  am  very,  very  unhappy." 

"I know  it,  darling,"  said  Cecil,  and  she  put  her 
arms  round  the  excited  girl.  "  Oh,  Hester !  don't 
turn  away  from  me ;  do  let  us  be  unhappy  to« 
gether." 


288  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  But  you  did  not  care  for  Nan." 

"  I  did — we  all  loved  the  pretty  darling.** 

"Suppose  I  never  see  her  again?"  said  Hester 
half  wildly.  "  Oh,  Cecil !  and  mother  left  her  to 
me  ?  mother  gave  her  to  me  to  take  care  of,  and  to 
bring  to  her  some  day  in  heaven.  Oh,  little  Nan, 
my  pretty,  my  love,  my  sweet !  I  think  I  could 
better  bear  her  being  dead  than  this." 

"You  could,  Hester,"  said  Cecil,  "if  she  was 
never  to  be  found ;  but  I  don't  think  God  will  give 
you  such  a  terrible  punishment.  I  think  little  Nan 
will  be  restored  to  you.  Let  us  ask  God  to  do  it, 
Hetty — let  us  kneel  down  now,  we  two  little  girls, 
and  pray  to  him  with  all  our  might."  * 

"  I  can't  pray ;  don't  ask  me,"  said  Hester,  turn- 
ing her  face  away. 

"Then  I  will." 

"But  not  here,  Cecil.  Cecil,  I  am  not  good — I 
am  not  good  enough  to  pray." 

"  We  don't  want  to  be  good  to  pray,"  said  Cecil. 
"We  want  perhaps  to  be  unhappy — perhaps  sorry ; 
but  if  God  waited  just  for  goodness,  I  don't  think  He 
would  get  many  prayers." 

"Well,  I  am  unhappy,  but  not  sorry.  No,  no: 
don't  ask  me,  I  cannot  pray  " 


A    WORLD  QF  GIRLS.  289 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

SUSAN. 

MRS.  WILLIS  came  back  at  a  very  late  hour  from 
Sefton.  The  police  were  confident  that  they  must 
soon  discover  both  children,  but  no  tidings  had  yet 
been  heard  of  either  of  them.  Mrs.  Willis  ordered 
her  girls  to  bed,  and  went  herself  to  kiss  Hester  and 
give  her  a  special  "  good-night."  She  was  struck  by 
the  peculiarly  unhappy,  and  even  hardened,  expres- 
sion on  the  poor  child's  face,  and  felt  that  she  did 
not  half  understand  her. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  Hester  awoke  from  a 
troubled  dream.  She  awoke  with  a  sharp  cry,  so 
sharp  and  intense  in  its  sound  that  had  any  girl  been 
awake  in  the  next  room  she  must  have  heard  it.  She 
felt  that  she  could  no  longer  remain  close  to  that 
little  empty  cot.  She  suddenly  remembered  that 
Susan  Drummond  would  be  alone  to-night:  what 
time  so  good  as  the  present  for  having  a  long  talk 
with  Susan  and  getting  her  to  clear  Annie?  She 
slipped  out  of  bed,  put  on  her  dressing-gown,  and 
softly  opening  the  door,  ran  down  the  passage  to 
Susan's  room. 

Susan  was  in  bed,  and  fast  asleep.  Hester  could 
see  her  face  quite  plainly  in  the  moonlight,  for  Susan 


290  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

slept  facing  the  window,  and  the  blind  was  not  drawn 
down. 

Hester  had  some  difficulty  in  awakening  Miss 
Drummond,  who,  however,  at  last  sat  up  in  £ed 
yawning  prodigiously. 

"What  is  the  matter?  Is  that  you,'  Hester 
Thornton  ?  Have  you  got  any  news  of  little  Nan  ? 
Has  Annie  come  back  ?" 

"  No,  they  are  both  still  away.  Susy,  I  want  to 
speak  to  you." 

"  Dear  me !  what  for  ?  must  you  speak  in  the 
middle  of  the  night  ?" 

"Yes,  for  I  don't  want  any  one  else  to  know.  Oh, 
Susan,  please  don't  go  to  sleep." 

"  My  dear,  I  won't,  if  I  can  help  it.  Do  you  mind 
throwing  a  little  cold  water  over  my  face  and  head? 
There  is  a  can  by  the  bedside.  I  always  keep  one 
handy.  Ah,  thanks — now  I  am  wide  awake.  I  shall 
probably  remain  so  for  about  two  minutes.  Can  you 
get  your  say  over  in  that  time?" 

"I  wonder,  Susan,"  said  Hester,  "if  you  have  got 
any  heart — but  heart  or  not,  I  have  just  come  here 
to-night  to  tell  you  that  I  have  found  you  out.  You 
are  at  the  bottom  of  all  this  mischief  about  Annie 
Forest." 

Susan  had  a  most  phlegmatic  face,  an  utterly 
unemotional  voice,  and  she  now  stared  calmly  at 
Hester  and  demanded  to  know  what  in  the  world 
she  meant. 

Hester  felt  her  temper  going,  her  self-control  de- 
serting her.  Susan's  apparent  innocence  and  indif- 
ference drove  her  half  frantic. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  291 

'•Oh, you  are  mean,"  she  said.  "You  pretend  to 
be  innocent,  but  you  are  the  deepest  and  wickedest 
girl  in  the  school.  I  tell  you,  Susan,  I  have  found 
you  out — you  put  that  caricature  of  Mrs.  Willis  into 
Cecil's  book;  you  changed  Dora's  theme.  I  don't 
know  why  you  did  it,  nor  how  you  did  it,  but  you 
are  the  guilty  person,  and  you  have  allowed  the  sin 
of  it  to  remain  on  Annie's  shoulders  all  this  time. 
Oh,  you  are  the  very  meanest  girl  I  ever  heard 
of!" 

"Dear,  dear,"  said  Susan,  "I  wish  I  had  not  asked 
you  to  throw  cold  water  over  my  head  and  face,  and 
allow  myself  to  be  made  very  wet  and  uncomfort- 
able, just  to  be  told  I  am  the  meanest  girl  you  ever 
met.  And  pray  what  affair  is  this  of  yours  ?  You 
certainly  don't  love  Annie  Forest." 

"I  don't,  but  I  want  justice  to  be  done  to  her. 
Annie  is  very,  very  unhappy.  Oh,  Susy,  won't  you 
go  and  tell  Mrs.  Willis  the  truth  ?" 

"Really,  my  dear  Hester,  I  think  you  are  a  little 
mad.  How  long  have  you  known  all  this  about  me, 
pray  ?" 

"  Oh,  for  some  time ;  since — since  the  night  the 
essay  was  changed." 

"Ah,  then,  if  what  you  state  is  true,  you  told  Mrs. 
Willis  a  lie,  for  she  distinctly  asked  you  if  you  knew 
anything  about  the  '  Muddy  Stream,'  and  you  said 
you  didn't.  I  saw  you — I  remarked  how  very  red 
you  got  when  you  plumped  out  that  great  lie  !  My 
dear,  if  I  am  the  meanest  and  wickedest  girl  in  the 
school,  prove  it — go,  tell  Mrs.  Willis  what  you  know. 


292  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Now,  if  you  will  allow  me,  I  will  get  back  into  the 
land  of  dreams." 

Susan  curled  herself  up  one  emore  in  her  bed, 
wrapped  the  bed-clothes  tightly  round  her  and 
was,  to  all  appearance,  oblivious  of  Hester's  pres- 
ence. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  293 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

UNDER     THE     HEDGE. 

IT  is  one  thing  to  talk  of  the  delights  of  sleeping 
tinder  a  hedgerow,  and  another  to  realize  them.  A 
hayfield  is  a  very  charming  place,  but  in  the  middle 
of  the  night,  with  the  dew  clinging  to  everything,  it 
is  apt  to  prove  but  a  chilly  bed ;  the  most  familiar 
objects  put  on  strange  and  unreal  forms,  the  most 
familiar  sounds  become  loud  and  alarming.  An- 
nie slept  for  about  an  hour  soundly;  then  she 
awoke,  trembling  with  cold  in  every  limb,  startled, 
and  almost  terrified  by  the  oppressive  loneliness 
of  the  night,  sure  that  the  insect  life  which  sur- 
rounded her,  and  which  would  keep  up  successions  of 
chirps,  and  croaks,  and  buzzes,  was  something  mys- 
terious and  terrifying.  Annie  was  a  brave  child, 
but  even  brave  little  girls  may  be  allowed  to 
possess  nerves  under  her  present  conditions,  and 
when  a  spider  ran  across  her  face  she  started  up 
with  a  scream  of  terror.  At  this  moment  she 
almost  regretted  the  close  and  dirty  lodgings  which 
she  might  have  obtained  for  a  few  pence  at  Oakley. 
The  hay  in  the  field  which  she  had  selected  was 
partly  cut  and  partly  standing.  The  cut  portion 
had  been  piled  up  into  little  cocks  and  hillocks,  and 


294  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

these,  with  the  night  shadows  round  them,  ap- 
peared to  the  frightened  child  to  assume  large  and 
half-human  proportions.  She  found  she  could  not 
sleep  any  longer.  She  wrapped  her  shawl  tightly 
round  her,  and,  crouching  into  the  hedgerow,  waited 
for  the  dawn. 

That  watched-for  dawn  seemed  to  the  tired  child 
as  if  it  would  never  come ;  but  at  last  her  solitary 
vigil  came  to  an  end,  the  cold  grew  greater,  a  little 
gentle  breeze  stirred  the  uncut  grass,  and  up  in  the 
sky  overhead  the  stars  became  fainter  and  the 
atmosphere  clearer.  Then  came  a  little  faint  flush 
of  pink,  then  a  brighter  light,  and  then  all  in  a 
moment  the  birds  burst  into  a  perfect  jubilee  of 
song,  the  insects  talked  and  chirped  and  buzzed  in 
new  tones,  the  hay-cocks  became  simply  hay-cocks, 
the  dew  sparkled  on  the  wet  grass,  the  sun  had 
risen,  and  the  new  day  had  begun. 

Annie  sat  up  and  rubbed  her  tired  eyes.  With 
the  sunshine  and  brightness  her  versatile  spirits  re- 
vived ;  she  buckled  on  her  courage  like  an  armor, 
and  almost  laughed  at  the  miseries  of  the  past  few 
hours.  Once  more  she  believed  that  success  and 
victory  would  be  hers,  once  more  in  her  small  way 
she  was  ready  to  do  or  die.  She  believed  absolutely 
in  the  holiness  of  her  mission.  Love — love  alone, 
simple  and  pure,  was  guiding  her.  She  gave  no 
thought  to  after-consequences,  she  gave  no  memory 
to  past  events ;  her  object  now  was  to  rescue  Nan, 
a«»d  she  herself  was  nothing. 

Aoinie  had  a  fellow-feeling,  a  rare  sympathy  with 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  395 

every  little  child;  but  no  child  had  ever  come  to 
take  Nan's  place  with  her.  The  child  she  had  first 
begun  to  notice  simply  out  of  a  naughty  spirit  of 
revenge,  had  twined  herself  round  her  heart,  and 
Annie  loved  Nan  all  the  more  dearly  because  she 
had  long  ago  repented  of  stealing  her  affections 
from  Hester,  and  would  gladly  have  restored  her 
to  her  old  place  next  to  Hetty's  heart.  Her  love 
for  Nan,  therefore,  had  the  purity  and  greatness 
which  all  love  that  calls  forth  self-sacrifice  must 
possess.  Annie  had  denied  herself,  and  kept  away 
from  Nan  of  late.  Now,  indeed,  she  was  going  to 
rescue  her ;  but  if  she  thought  of  herself  at  all,  it 
was  with  the  certainty  that  for  this  present  act  of 
disobedience  Mrs.  Willis  would  dismiss  her  from 
the  school,  and  she  would  not  see  little  Nan 
again. 

Never  mind  that,  if  Nan  herself  was  saved.  Annie 
was  disobedient,  but  on  this  occasion  she  was  not 
unhappy ;  she  had  none  of  that  remorse  which 
troubled  her  so  much  after  her  wild  picnic  in  the 
fairies'  field.  On  the  contrary,  she  had  a  strange 
sense  of  peace  and  even  guidance;  she  had  con- 
fessed this  sin  to  Mrs.  Willis,  and,  though  she'  was 
suspected  of  far  worse,  her  own  innocence  kept  hei 
heart  untroubled.  The  verse  which  had  occurred 
to  her  two  mornings  before  still  rang  in  her  ears  : 

"  A  soul  which  has  sinned  and  is  pardoned  again." 

The  impulsive,  eager  child  was  possessed  just  now 
of  something  which  men  call  True  Courage ;  it  was 


296  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

founded  on  the  knowledge  that  God  would  help  her, 
and  was  accordingly  calm  and  strengthening. 

Annie  rose  from  her  damp  bed,  and  looked 
around  her  for  a  little  stream  where  she  might  wash 
her  face  and  hands ;  suddenly  she  remembered 
that  face  and  hands  were  dyed,  and  that  she  would 
do  best  to  leave  them  alone.  She  smoothed  out 
as  best  she  could  the  ragged  elf-locks  which  the 
gypsy  maid  had  left  on  her  curly  head,  and  then 
covering  her  face  with  her  hands,  said  simply  and 
earnestly : 

"  Please,  my  Father  in  heaven,  help  me  to  find 
little  Nan ;"  then  she  set  off  through  the  cornfields 
an  the  direction  of  the  gypsies'  encampment. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  297 


CHAPTER  XLV. 

TIGER. 

IT  WAS  still  very,  very  early  in  the  morning,  and 
the  gypsy  folk,  tired  from  their  march  on  the  preced- 
ing day,  slept.  There  stood  the  conical,  queer-shaped 
tents,  four  in  number ;  at  a  little  distance  off  grazed 
the  donkeys  and  a  couple  of  rough  mules ;  at  the  door 
of  the  tents  lay  stretched  out  in  profound  repose  two 
or  three  dogs. 

Annie  dreaded  the  barking  of  the  dogs,  although 
she  guessed  that  if  they  set  up  a  noise,  and  a  gypsy 
wife  or  man  put  out  their  heads  in  consequence,  they 
would  only  desire  the  gypsy  child  to  lie  down  and 
keep  quiet. 

She  stood  still  for  a  moment — she  was  very 
anxious  to  prowl  around  the  place  and  examine  the 
ground  while  the  gypsies  still  slept,  but  the  watchful 
dogs  deterred  her.  She  stood  perfectly  quiet  behind 
the  hedgerow,  thinking  hard.  Should  she  trust  to  a 
charm  she  knew  she  possessed,  and  venture  into  the 
encampment  ?  Annie  had  almost  as  great  a  f  ascina- 
tion  over  dogs  and  cats  as  she  had  over  children. 
As  a  little  child  going  to  visit  with  her  mother  at 
strange  houses,  the  watch-dogs  never  barked  at  her ; 
on  the  contrary,  they  yielded  to  the  charm  which 


29ft  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

seemed  to  come  from  her  little  fingers  as  she  patted 
their  great  heads.  Slowly  their  tails  would  move 
backward  and  forward  as  she  patted  them,  and 
even  the  most  ferocious  would  look  at  her  with 
affection. 

Annie  wondered  if  the  gypsy  dogs  would  now 
allow  her  to  approach  without  barking.  She  felt 
that  the  chances  were  in  her  favor  ;  she  was  dressed 
in  gypsy  garments,  there  would  be  nothing  strange 
in  her  appearance,  and  if  she  could  get  near  one  of 
the  dogs  she  knew  that  she  could  exercise  the  magic 
of  her  touch. 

Her  object,  then,  was  to  approach  one  of  the 
tents  very,  very  quietly — so  softly  that  even  the 
dogs's  ears  should  not  detect  the  light  footfall.  If 
she  could  approach  close  enough  to  put  her  hand 
on  the  dog's  neck  all  would  be  well.  She  pulled  off 
the  gypsy  maid's  rough  shoes,  hid  them  in  the  grass 
where  she  could  find  them  again,  and  came  gingerly 
step  by  step,  nearer  and  nearer  the  principal  tent. 
At  its  'entrance  lay  a  ferocious-looking  half-bred 
bull-dog.  Annie  possessed  that  necessary  accom- 
paniment to  courage — great  outward  calm ;  the 
greater  the  danger,  the  more  cool  and  self-possessed 
did  she  become.  She  was  within  a  step  or  two  of 
the  tent  when  she  trod  accidentally  on  a  small  twig; 
it  cracked,  giving  her  foot  a  sharp  pain,  and  very 
slight  as  the  sound  was,  causing  the  bull-dog  to 
awake.  He  raised  his  wicked  face,  saw  the  figure 
like  his  own  people,  and  yet  unlike,  but  a  step 
or  two  away,  and,  uttering  a  low  growl,  sprang 
forward. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  299 

In  the  ordinary  course  of  things  this  growl  would 
have  risen  in  volume  and  would  have  terminated  in 
a  volley  of  barking  ,  but  Annie  was  prepared :  she 
went  down  on  her  knees,  held  out  her  arms,  said, 
"Poor  fellow!"  in  her  own  seductive  voice,  and 
the  bull-dog  fawned  at  her  feet.  He  licked  one 
of  her  hands  while  she  patted  him  gently  with  the 
other. 

"Come,  poor  fellow/'  she  said  then  in  a  gentle 
tone,  and  Annie  and  the  dog  began  to  perambulate 
round  the  tents. 

The  other  dogs  raised  sleepy  eyes,  but  seeing 
Tiger  and  the  girl  together,  took  no  notice  what- 
ever, except  by  a  thwack  or  two  of  their  stumpy 
tails.  Annie  was  now  looking  not  only  at  the  tents, 
but  for  something  else  which  Zillah,  her  nurse,  had 
told  her  might  be  found  near  to  many  gypsy 
encampments.  This  was  a  small  subterranean  pas- 
sage, which  generally  led  into  a  long  disused  under- 
ground Danish  fort.  Zillah  had  told  her  what  uses 
the  gypsies  liked  to  make  of  these  underground  pas- 
sages, and  how  they  often  chose  those  which  had 
two  entrances.  She  told  her  that  in  this  way  they 
eluded  the  police,  and  were  enabled  successfully  to 
hide  the  goods  which  they  stole.  She  had  also 
described  to  her  their  great  ingenuity  in  hiding  the 
entrances  to  these  underground  retreats. 

Annie's  idea  now  was  that  little  Nan  was  hidden 
in  one  of  these  vaults,  and  she  determined  first  to 
make  sure  of  its  existence,  and  then  to  venture  her- 
self into  this  underground  region  in  search  of  the 
lost  child. 


'300  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

I 

She  had  made  a  decided  conquest  in  the  person  of 
Tiger,  who  followed  her  round  and  round  the  tents, 
and  when  the  gypsies  at  last  began  to  stir,  and 
Annie  crept  into  the  hedge-row,  the  dog  crouched 
by  her  side.  Tiger  was  the  favorite  dog  of  the 
camp,  and  presently  one  of  the  men  called  to  him ; 
he  rose  unwillingly,  looked  back  with  longing  eyes 
at  Annie,  and  trotted  off,  to  return  in  the  space  of 
about  five  minutes  with  a  great  hunch  of  broken 
bread  in  his  mouth.  This  was  his  breakfast,  and  he 
meant  to  share  it  with  his  new  friend.  Annie  was 
too  hungry  to  be  fastidious,  and  she  also  knew  the 
necessity  of  keeping  up  her  strength.  She  crept 
still  farther  under  the  hedge,  and  the  dog  and  girl 
shared  the  broken  bread  between  them. 

Presently  the  tents  were  all  astir;  the  gypsy 
children  began  to  swarm  about,  the  women  lit  fires 
in  the  open  air,  and  the  smell  of  very  appetizing 
breakfasts  filled  the  atmosphere.  The  men  also 
lounged  into  view,  standing  lazily  at  the  doors  of 
their  tents,  and  smoking  great  pipes  of  tobacco. 
Annie  lay  quiet.  She  could  see  from  her  hiding- 
place  without  being  seen.  Suddenly — and  her  eyes 
began  to  dilate,  and  she  found  her  heart  beating 
strangely — she  laid  her  hand  on  Tiger,  who  was 
quivering  all  over. 

"  Stay  with  me,  dear  dog,"  she  said. 

There  was  a  great  commotion  and  excitement  in 
the  gypsy  camp ;  the  children  screamed  and  ran 
into  the  tents,  the  women  paused  in  their  prepa- 
ration for  breakfast,  the  men  took  their  short  pipes 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  301 

out  of  their  mouths ;  every  dog,  with  the  exception 
of  Tiger,  barked  ferociously.  Tiger  and  Annie 
alone  were  motionless. 

The  cause  of  all  this  uproar  was  a  body  of  police, 
about  six  in  number,  who  came  boldly  into  the  field, 
and  demanded  instantly  to  search  the  tents. 

"We  want  a  woman  who  calls  herself  Mother 
Rachel,"  they  said.  "  She  belongs  to  this  encamp- 
ment. We  know  her ;  let  her  come  forward  at 
once ;  we  wish  to  question  her." 

The  men  stood  about ;  the  women  came  near ; 
the  children  crept  out  of  their  tents,  placing  their 
fingers  to  their  frightened  lips,  and  staring  at  the 
men  who  represented  those  horrors  to  their  unso- 
phisticated minds  called  Law  and  Order. 

"  We  must  search  the  tents.  We  won't  stir  from 
the  spot  until  we  have  had  an  interview  with  Mother 
Rachel,"  said  the  principal  member  of  the  police 
force. 

The  men  ansv/ered  respectfully  that  the  gypsy 
mother  was  not  yet  up  ;  but  if  the  gentlemen  would 
wait  a  moment  she  would  soon  come  and  speak  to 
them. 

The  officers  expressed  their  willingness  to  wait, 
and  collected  round  the  tents. 

Just  at  this  instant,  under  the  hedge-row,  Tiger 
raised  his  head.  Annie's  watchful  eyes  accompanied 
the  dog's.  He  was  gazing  after  a  tiny  gypsy  maid 
who  was  skulking  along  the  hedge,  and  who  presently 
disappeared  through  a  very  small  opening  into  the 
neighboring  field. 


302  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Quick  as  thought  Annie,  holding  Tiger's  collar, 
darted  after  her.  The  little  maid  heard  the  foot- 
steps ;  but  seeing  another  gypsy  girl,  and  their  own 
dog,  Tiger,  she  took  no  further  notice,  but  ran  openly 
and  very  swiftly  across  the  field  until  she  came  to  a 
broken  wall.  Here  she  tugged  and  tugged  at  some 
loose  stones,  managed  to  push  one  away,  and  then 
called  down  into  the  ground  : 

"Mother  Rachel!" 

"  Come,  Tiger,"  said  Annie.  She  flew  to  a  hedge 
not  far  off,  and  once  more  the  dog  and  she  hid  them- 
selves. The  small  girl  was  too  excited  to  notice 
either  their  coming  or  going;  she  went  on  calling 
anxiously  into  the  ground : 

"  Mother  Rachel !  Mother  Rachel !" 

Presently  a  black  head  and  a  pair  of  brawny 
shoulders  appeared,  and  the  tall  woman  whose  face 
and  figure  Annie  knew  so  well  stepped  up  out  of  the 
ground,  pushed  back  the  stones  into  their  place,  and 
taking  the  gypsy  child  into  her  arms,  ran  swiftly 
across  the  field  in  the  direction  of  the  tents. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS,  303 


CHAPTER    XLVI. 

FOR    LOVE     OF     NAN. 

Now  WAS  Annie's  time.  "Tiger,"  she  said,, for 
she  had  heard  the  men  calling  the  dog's  name,  "  I 
want  to  go  right  down  into  that  hole  in  the  ground, 
and  you  are  to  come  with  me.  Don't  let  us  lose, a 
moment,  good  dog." 

The  dog  wagged  his  tail,  capered  about  in  front 
of  Annie,  and  then  with  a  wonderful  shrewdness  ran 
before  her  to  the  broken  wall,  where  he  stood  with 
his  head  bent  downward  and  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
ground. 

Annie  pulled  and  tugged  at  the  loose  stones ; 
they  were  so  heavy  and  cunningly  arranged  that  she 
wondered  how  the  little  maid,  who  was  smaller  than 
herself,  had  managed  to  remove  them.  She  saw 
quickly,  however,  that  they  were  arranged  with  a 
certain  leverage,  and  that  the  largest  stone,  that 
which  formed  the  real  entrance  to  the  underground 
passage,  was  balanced  in  its  place  in  such  a  fashion 
that  when  she  leaned  on  a  certain  portion  of  it,  it 
moved  aside,  and  allowed  plenty  of  room  for  her  to 
go  down  into  the  earth. 

Very  dark  and  dismal  and  uninviting  did  the  rude 
steps,  which  led  nobody  knew  where,  appear.  For 


304  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

one  moment  Annie  hesitated ;  but  the  thought  of 
Nan  hidden  somewhere  in  this  awful  wretchedness 
nerved  her  courage. 

"  Go  first,  Tiger,  please,"  she  said,  and  the  dog 
scampered  down,  sniffing  the  earth  as  he  went. 
Annie  followed  him,  but  she  had  scarcely  got  her 
head  below  the  level  of  the  ground  before  she  found 
herself  in  total  and  absolute  darkness  ;  she  had  un- 
wittingly touched  the  heavy  stone,  which  had  swung 
back  into  its  place.  She  heard  Tiger  sniffing  below, 
and,  calling  him  to  keep  by  her  side,  she  went 
very  carefully  down  and  down  and  down,  until  at 
last  she  knew  by  the  increase  of  air  that  she  must 
have  come  to  the  end  of  the  narrow  entrance 
passage. 

She  was  now  able  to  stand  upright,  and  raising 
her  hand,  she  tried  in  vain  to  find  a  roof.  The  room 
where  she  stood,  then,  must  be  lofty.  She  went 
forward  in  the  utter  darkness  very,  very  slowly; 
suddenly  her  head  again  came  in  contact  with  the 
roof ;  she  made  a  few  steps  farther  on,  and  then 
found  that  to  proceed  at  all  she  must  go  on  her  hands 
and  knees.  She  bent  down  and  peered  through  the 
darkness. 

"  We'll  go  on,  Tiger,"  she  said,  and,  holding  the 
dog's  collar  and  clinging  to  him  for  protection,  she 
crept  along  the  narrow  passage. 

Suddenly  she  gave  an  exclamation  of  joy — at  the 
other  end  of  this  gloomy  passage  was  light — faint 
twilight  surely,  but  still  undoubted  light,  which  came 
down  from  some  chink  in  the  outer  world.  Annie 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  305 

came  to  the  end  of  the  passage,  and,  standing  up- 
right, found  herself  suddenly  in  a  room ;  a  very 
small  and  miserable  room  certainly,  but  with  the 
twilight  shining  through  it,  which  revealed  not  only 
that  it  was  a  room,  but  a  room  which  contained  a 
heap  of  straw,  a  three-legged  stool,  and  two  or  three 
cracked  cups  and  saucers.  Here,  then,  was  Mother 
Rachel's  lair,  and  here  she  must  look  for  Nan. 

The  darkness  had  been  so  intense  that  even  the 
faint  twlight  of  this  little  chamber  had  dazzled 
Annie's  eyes  for  a  moment ;  the  next,  however,  her 
vision  became  clear.  She  saw  that  the  straw  bed 
contained  a  bundle ;  she  went  near — out  of  the 
wrapped-up  bundle  of  shawls  appeared  the  head  of  a 
child.  The  child  slept,  and  moaned  in  its  slumbers. 

Annie  bent  over  it  and  said,  "Thank  God!"  in  a 
tone  of  rapture,  and  then,  stooping  down,  she  pas- 
sionately kissed  the  lips  of  little  Nan. 

Nan's  skin  had  been  dyed  with  the  walnut-juice, 
her  pretty,  soft  hair  had  been  cut  short,  her  dainty 
clothes  had  been  changed  for  the  most  ragged  gypsy 
garments,  but  still  she  was  undoubtedly  Nan,  the 
child  whom  Annie  had  come  to  save. 

From  her  uneasy  slumbers  the  poor  little  one 
awoke  with  a  cry  of  terror.  She  could  not  recognize 
Annie's  changed  face,  and  clasped  her  hands  before 
her  eyes,  and  said  piteously : 

"  Me  want  to  go  home — go  'way,  naughty  woman, 
me  want  my  Annie." 

"Little  darling!"  said  Annie,  in  her  sweetest 
tones.  The  changed  face  had  not  appealed  to  Nan, 


306  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

but  the  old  voice  went  straight  to  her  baby  heart ; 
she  stopped  crying  and  looked  anxiously  toward  the 
entrance  of  the  room. 

"Turn  in,  Annie — me  here,  Annie — little  Nan 
want  'oo." 

Annie  glanced  around  her  in  despair.  Suddenly 
her  quick  eyes  lighted  on  a  jug  of  water;  she  flew 
to  it,  and  washed  and  laved  her  face. 

"Coming,  darling,"  she  said,  as  she  tried  to  re- 
move the  hateful  dye.  She  succeeded  partly,  and 
when  she  came  back,  to  her  great  joy,  the  child  re- 
cognized her. 

"  Now,  little  precious,  we  will  get  out  of  this  as 
fast  as  we  can,"  said  Annie,  and,  clasping  Nan 
tightly  in  her  arms,  the  prepared  to  return  by  the 
way  she  had  come.  Then  and  there,  for  the  first 
time,  there  flashed  across  her  memory  the  horrible 
fact  that  the  stone  door  had  swung  back  into  its 
place,  and  that  by  no  possible  means  could  she  open 
it.  She  and  Nan  and  Tiger  were  buried  in  a  living 
tomb,  and  must  either  stay  there  and  perish,  or 
await  the  tender  mercies  of  the  cruel  Mother  Rachel. 

Nan,  with  her  arms  tightly  clasped  round  Annie's 
neck,  began  to  cry  fretfully.  She  was  impatient  to 
get  out  of  this  dismal  place  ;  she  was  no  longer  op- 
pressed by  fears,  for  with  Annie  whom  she 
loved  she  felt  absolutely  safe ;  but  she  was  hungry 
and  cold  and  uncomfortable,  and  it  seemed  but  a  step, 
to  little  inexperienced  Nan,  from  Annie's  arms  to  her 
snug,  cheerful  nursery  at  Lavender  House. 

"Turn,  Annie — turn  home,  Annie,"  she  begged, 
and,  when  Annie  did  not  stir,  she  began  to  weep. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  307 

In  truth,  the  poor,  brave  little  girl  was  sadly  puz- 
zled, and  her  first  gleam  of  returning  hope  lay  in 
the  remembrance  of  Zillah's  words,  that  there  were 
generally  two  entrances  to  these  old  underground 
forts.  Tiger,  who  seemed  thoroughly  at  home  in 
this  little  room,  and  had  curled  himself  up  comfort- 
ably on  the  heap  of  straw,  had  probably  often  been 
here  before.  Perhaps  Tiger  knew  the  way  to  the 
second  entrance.  Annie  called  him  to  her  side. 

"Tiger,"  she  said,  going  down  on  her  knees,  and 
looking  full  into  his  ugly  but  intelligent  face,  "  Nan 
and  I  want  to  get  out  of  this." 

Tiger  wagged  his  stumpy  tail. 

"  We  are  hungry,  Tiger,  and  we  want  something 
to  eat,  and  you'd  like  a  bone,  wouldn't  you  ?" 

Tiger's  tail  went  with  ferocious  speed,  and  he 
licked  Annie's  hand. 

"  There's  no  use  going  back  that  way,  dear  dog," 
continued  the  girl,  pointing  with  her  arm  in  the 
direction  they  had  come.  "The  door  is  fastened, 
Tiger,  and  we  can't  get  out.  We  can't  get  out  be- 
cause the  door  is  shut." 

The  dog's  tail  had  ceased  to  wag ;  he  took  in  the 
situation,  ft  his  whole  expression  showed  dejection, 
and  he  dropped  his  head. 

It  was  now  quite  evident  to  Annie  that  Tiger  had 
been  here  before,  and  that  on  some  other  occasion 
in  his  life  he  had  wanted  to  get  out  and  could  not 
because  the  door  was  shut. 

"  Now,  Tiger,"  said  Annie,  speaking  cheerfully, 
and  rising  to  her  feet,  "  we  must  get  out  •  Nan  and 


308  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

I  are  hungry,  and  you  want  your  bone.  Take  us 
oat  the  other  way,  good  Tiger—the  other  way,  dear 
dog." 

She  moved  instantly  toward  the  little  passage; 
the  dog  followed  her. 

"The  other  way,"  she  said,  and  she  turned  hei 
back  on  the  long  narrow  passage,  and  took  a  step 
or  two  into  complete  darkness.  The  dog  began  tc 
whine,  caught  hold  of  her  dress,  and  tried  to  pull 
her  back. 

"  Quite  right,  Tiger,  we  won't  go  that  way,"  said 
Annie,  instantly.  She  returned  into  the  dimly- 
lighted  room. 

"  Find  a  way — find  a  way  out,  Tiger,"  she  said. 

The  dog  evidently  understood  her ;  he  moved 
restlessly  about  the  room.  Finally  he  got  up  on 
the  bed,  pulled  and  scratched  and  tore  away  the 
straw  at  the  upper  end,  then,  wagging  his  tail,  flew 
to  Annie's  side.  She  came  back  with  him.  Be- 
neath the  straw  was  a  tiny,  tiny  trap-door. 

"Oh,  Tiger!"  said  the  girl;  she  went  down  on 
her  knees,  and,  finding  she  could  not  stir  it,  won- 
dered if  this  also  was  kept  in  its  place  by  a  system 
of  balancing.  She  was  right ;  after  a  very  little 
pressing  the  door  moved  aside,  and  Annie  saw  four 
or  five. rudely  carved  steps. 

"Come,  Nan,"  she  said  joyfully,  "Tiger  has  saved 
us  ;  these  steps  must  lead  us  out." 

The  dog,  with  a  joyful  whine,  went  djwn  first, 
and  Annie,  clasping  Nan  tightly  in  her  arms,  fol- 
lowed him.  Four,  five,  six  steps  they  went  down : 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

then,  to  Annie's  great  joy,  she  found  that  the  next 
step  began  to  ascend.  Up  and  up  she  went,  cheered 
by  a  welcome  shaft  of  light.  Finally,  she,  Nan,  and 
the  dog  found  themselves  emerging  into  the  open 
air,  through  a  hole  which  might  have  teen  taken  for 
a  large  rabbit  burrow. 


310  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XL VII. 

RESCUED. 

TKE  GIRL,  the  child,  and  the  dog  found  themselves 
in  a  comparatively  strange  country — Annie  had 
completely  lost  her  bearings.  She  looked  around 
her  for  some  sign  of  the  gypsies'  encampment ;  but 
whether  she  had  really  gone  a  greater  distance 
than  she  imagined  in  those  underground  vaults,  or 
whether  the  tents  were  hidden  in  some  hollow  of 
the  ground,  she  did  not  know ;  she  was  only  con- 
scious that  she  was  in  a  strange  country,  that  Nan 
was  clinging  to  her  and  crying  for  her  breakfast, 
and  that  Tiger  was  sniffing  the  air  anxiously. 
Annie  guessed  that  Tiger  could  take  them  back  to 
the  camp,  but  this  was  by  no  means  her  wish. 
When  she  emerged  out  of  the  underground  passage 
she  was  conscious  for  the  first  time  of  a  strange  and 
unknown  experience.  Absolute  terror  seized  the 
brave  child ;  she  trembled  from  head  to  foot,  her 
head  ached  violently,  and  the  ground  on  which  she 
stood  seemed  to  reel,  and  the  sky  to  turn  round. 
She  sat  down  for  a  moment  on  the  green  grass. 
What  ailed  her  ?  where  was  she  ?  how  could  she  get 
home  ?  Nan's  little  piteous  wail,  "  Me  want  my 
bekfas,'  me  want  my  nursie,  me  want  Hetty,"  al 
most  irritated  her. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  311 

"  Oh,  Nan,"  she  said  at  last  piteously,  "  have  you 
not  got  your  own  Annie  ?  Oh,  Nan,  dear  little 
Nan,  Annie  feels  so  ill !" 

Nan  had  the  biggest  and  softest  of  baby  hearts 
— breakfast,  nurse,  Hetty,  were  all  forgotten  in  the 
crowning  desire  to  comfort  Annie.  She  climbed  on 
her  knee  and  stroked  her  face  and  kissed  her  lips. 

"  'Oo  better  now  ?"  she  said  in  a  tone  of  baby 
inquiry. 

Annie  roused  herself  with  a  great  effort. 

"  Yes,  darling,"  she  said ;  "  we  will  try  and  get 
home.  Come,  Tiger.  Tiger,  dear,  I  don't  want  to 
go  back  to  the  gypsies  ;  take  me  the  other  way — 
take  me  to  Oakley." 

Tiger  again  sniffed  the  air,  looked  anxiously  at 
Annie,  and  trotted  on  in  front.  Little  Nan  in  her 
ragged  gypsy  clothes  walked  sedately  by  Annie's 
side. 

"Where  'oo  s'oes  ?"  she  said,  pointing  to  the 
girl's  bare  feet. 

"  Gone,  Nan — gone.  Never  mind,  I've  got  you. 
My  little  treasure,  my  little  love,  you're  safe  at 
last." 

As  Annie  tottered,  rather  than  walked,  down  a 
narrow  path  which  led  directly  through  a  field  of 
standing  corn,  she  was  startled  by  the  sudden  ap- 
parition of  a  bright-eyed  girl,  who  appeared  so 
suddenly  in  her  path  that  she  might  have  been  sup- 
posed to  have  risen  out  of  the  very  ground. 

The  girl  stared  hard  at  Annie,  fixed  her  eyes 
inquiringly  on  Nan  and  Tiger,  a«d  then  turning  on 


312  /4    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

her  heel,  dashed  up  the  path,  went  through  a  turn- 
stile, across  the  road,  and  into  a  cottage. 

"  Mother,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  said  she  warn't  a 
real  gypsy;  she's  a-coming  back,  and  her  face  is  all 
streaked  like,  and  she  has  a  little  'un  along  with  her, 
and  a  dawg,  and  the  only  one  as  is  gypsy  is  the 
dawg.  Come  and  look  at  her,  mother ;  oh,  she  is  a 
fine  take-in  !" 

The  round-faced,  good-humored  looking  mother, 
whose  name  was  Mrs.  Williams,  had  been  washing 
and  putting  away  the  breakfast  things  when  her 
daughter  entered.  She  now  wiped  her  hands 
hastily  and  came  to  the  cottage  door. 

"  Cross  the  road,  and  come  to  the  stile,  mother," 
said  the  energetic  Peggy — "  oh,  there  she  be  a-creep- 
ing  along — oh,  ain't  she  a  take-in  ?" 

"  'Sakes  alive  !"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Williams,  "  the 
girl  is  ill !  why,  she  can't  keep  herself  steady  !  There! 
I  knew  she'd  fall ;  ah  !  poor  little  thing — poor  little 
thing." 

It  did  not  take  Mrs.  Williams  an  instant  to  reach 
Annie's  side ;  and  in  another  moment  she  had  lifted 
her  in  her  strong  arms  and  carried  her  into  the 
cottage,  Peggy  lifting  Nan  and  following  in  the 
rear,  while  Tiger  walked  by  their  sides. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  313 


CHAPTER  XLVIIL 

DARK    DAYS. 

A  WHOLE  week  had  passed,  and  there  were  no 
tidings  whatever  of  little  Nan  or  of  Annie  Forest. 
No  one  at  Lavender  House  had  heard  a  word  about 
them  ;  the  police  came  and  went,  detectives  even 
arrived  from  London,  but  there  were  no  traces 
whatever  of  the  missing  children. 

The  midsummer  holiday  was  now  close  at  hand, 
but  no  one  spoke  of  it  or  thought  of  it.  Mrs.  Willis 
told  the  teachers  that  the  prizes  should  be  distrib- 
uted, but  she  said  she  could  invite  no  guests  an<J 
ccnld  allow  of  no  special  festivities.  Miss  Danes- 
bury  and  Miss  Good  repeated  her  words  to  the 
schoolgirls,  who  answered  without  hesitation  that 
they  did  not  wish  for  feasting  and  merriment ;  they 
would  rather  the  day  passed  unnoticed.  In  truth, 
the  fact  that  their  baby  was  gone,  that  their  favorite 
and  prettiest  and  brightest  schoolmate  had  also  dis- 
appeared, caused  such  gloom,  such  distress,  such 
apprehension  that  even  the  most  thoughtless  of 
those  girls  could  scarcely  have  laughed  or  been 
merry.  School-hours  were  still  kept  after  a  fashion, 
but  there  was  no  life  in  the  lessons.  In  truth,  it 
seemed  as  if  the  sun  would  never  shine  again  at 
Lavender  House. 


314  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

Hester  was  ill;  not  very  ill — she  had  no  fever, 
she  had  no  cold ;  she  had,  as  the  good  doctor  ex- 
plained it,  nothing-  at  all  wrong,  except  that  her 
nervous  system  had  got  a  shock. 

"  When  the  little  one  is  found,  Miss  Hetty  will  be 
quite  well  again,"  said  the  good  doctor ;  but  the 
little  one  had  not  been  found  yet,  and  Hester  had 
completely  broken  down.  She  lay  on  her  bed,  say- 
ing little  or  nothing,  eating  scarcely  anything, 
sleeping  not  at  all.  All  the  girls  were  kind  to  her 
and  each  one  in  the  school  took  turns  in  trying  to 
comfort  her;  but  no  one  could  win  a  smile  from 
Hester,  and  even  Mrs.  Willis  failed  utterly  to  reach 
or  touch  her  heart. 

Mr.  Everard  came  once  to  see  her,  but  he  had 
scarcely  spoken  many  words  when  Hester  broke  into 
an  agony  of  weeping  and  begged  him  to  go  away. 
He  shook  his  head  when  he  left  her  and  said  sadly 
to  himself : 

"  That  girl  has  got  something  on  her  mind ;  she  is 
grieving  for  more  than  the  loss  of  her  little  sister." 

The  twentieth  of  June  came  at  last,  and  the  girls 
sat  about  in  groups  in  the  pleasant  shady  garden, 
and  talked  of  the  very  sad  breaking-up  day  they 
were  to  have  on  the  morrow,  and  wondered  if,  when 
they  returned  to  school  again,  Annie  and  little  Nan 
would  have  been  found.  Cecil  Temple,  Dora 
Russell,  and  one  or  two  others  were  sitting  together 
and  whispering  in  low  voices.  Mary  Price  joined 
them,  and  said  anxiously  : 

"  I  don't  think  the  doctor  is  satisfied  about  Hester 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  315 

Perhaps  I  ought  not  to  have  listened,  but  I  heard 
him  talking  to  Miss  Danesbury  just  now ;  he  said! 
she  must  be  got  to  sleep  somehow,  and  she  is  to  have 
a  composing  draught  to-night." 

"  I  wish  poor  Hetty  would  not  turn  away  from  us 
all,"  said  Cecil ;  "  I  wish  she  would  not  quite  give 
up  hope  ;  I  do  feel  sure  that  Nan  and  Annie  will  be 
found  yet." 

"  Have  you  been  praying  about  it,  Cecil  ?"  asked 
Mary,  kneeling  on  the  grass,  laying  her  elbows  on 
Cecil's  knees  and  Poking  into  her  face.  "  Do  you 
say  this  because  you  have  faith  ?" 

"  I  have  prayed  and  I  have  faith,"  replied  Cecil  in 
her  simple,  earnest  way.  "  Why,  Dora,  what  is  the 
matter  ?" 

"Only  that  us  horrid  to  leave  like  this,"  said 
Dora  ;  "  I — I  thought  my  last  day  at  school  would 
have  been  so  different  and  somehow  I  am  sorry  I 
spoke  so  much  against  that  poor  little  Annie." 

Here  Cecil  suddenly  rose  from  her  seat,  and 
going  up  to  Dora,  clasped  her  arms  round  her 
neck. 

"  Thank  you,  Dora,"  she  said  with  fervor  ;  "  I  love 
you  for  those  words." 

"  Here  comes  Susy,"  remarked  Mary  Price.  "  I 
really  don't  think  anything  would  move  Susy ;  she's 
just  as  stolid  and  indifferent  as  ever.  Ah,  Susy, 
here's  a  place  for  you — oh,  what  is  the  matter  with 
Phyllis  ?  see  how  she's  rushing  toward  us  !  Phyllis, 
my  dear,  don't  break  your  neck." 

Susan,  with  her  usual  nonchalance,  seated  herself. 


3x0  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

by  DOI-A  Russell's  side.  Phyllis  burst  excitedly  into 
the  group. 

"  I  think,"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  really,  really  do  think 
that  news  has  come  of  Annie's  father.  Nora  said 
that  Janet  told  her  that  a  foreign  letter  came  this 
morning  to  Mrs.  Willis,  and  somebody  saw  Mrs. 
Willis  talking  to  Miss  Danesbury — oh,  I  forgot, 
only  I  know  that  the  girls  of  the  school  are  whis- 
pering the  news  that  Mrs.  Willis  cried,  and  Miss 
Danesbury  said,  '  After  waiting  for  him  four  years, 
and  now,  when  he  comes  back,  he  won't  find  her  !' 
Oh  dear,  oh  dear !  there  is  Danesbury.  Cecil,  dar- 
ling love,  go  to  her,  and  find  out  the  truth." 

Cecil  rose  at  once,  went  across  the  lawn,  said  a 
few  words  to  Miss  Danesbury,  and  came  back  to  the 
other  girls. 

"  It  is  true,"  she  said  sadly,  "  there  came  a  letter 
this  morning  from  Captain  Forest ;  he  will  be  at 
Lavender  House  in  a  week.  Miss  Danesbury  says 
it  is  a  wonderful  letter,  and  he  has  been  shipwrecked^ 
and  on  an  island  by  himself  for  ever  so  long ;  but 
he  is  safe  now,  and  will  soon  be  in  England.  Miss 
Danesbury  says  Mrs.  Willis  can  scarcely  speak  about 
that  letter ;  she  is  in  great,  great  trouble,  and  Miss 
Danesbury  confesses  that  they  are  all  more  anxious 
than  they  dare  to  admit  about  Annie  and  little 
Nan." 

At  this  moment  the  sound  of  carriage  wheels  was 
heard  on  the  drive,  and  Susan,  peering  forward  to 
see  who  was  arriving,  remarked  in  her  usual  non- 
chalant manner : 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  317 

"Only  the  little  Misses  Bruce  in  their  basket- 
carriage — what  dull -looking  women  they  are." 

Nobody  commented,  however,  on  her  observation, 
and  gradually  the  little  group  of  girls  sank  into  ab- 
solute silence. 

From  where  they  sat  they  could  see  the  basket- 
carriage  waiting  at  the  front  entrance — the  little 
ladies  had  gone  inside,  all  was  perfect  silence  and 
stillness. 

Suddenly  on  the  stillness  a  sound  broke — the 
sound  of  a  girl  running  quickly ;  nearer  and  nearer 
came  the  steps,  and  the  four  or  five  who  sat  together 
under  the  oak-tree  noticed  the  quick  panting  breath, 
and  felt  even  before  a  word  was  uttered  that  evil 
tidings  were  coming  to  them.  They  all  started  to 
their  feet,  however ;  they  all  uttered  a  cry  of  horror 
and  distress  when  Hester  herself  broke  into  their 
midst.  She  was  supposed  to  be  lying  down  in  a 
darkened  room,  she  was  supposed  to  be  very  ill — 
what  was  she  doing  here  ? 

"  Hetty  !"  exclaimed  Cecil. 

Hester  pushed  past  her  ;  she  rushed  up  to  Susan 
Drummond,  and  seized  her  arm. 

"  News  has  come  !"  she  panted ;  "  news— news  at 
last !  Nan  is  found  ! — and  Annie — they  are  both 
found — but  Annie  is  dying.  Come,  Susan,  come 
this  moment;  we  must  both  tell  what  we  know 
now." 

By  her  impetuosity,  by  the  intense  fire  of  her  pas- 
sion and  agony,  even  Susan  was  electrified  into  leav- 
ing her  seat  and  going  with  her. 


318  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

TWO    CONFESSIONS. 

HESTER  dragged  her  startled  and  rather  unwilling 
companion  in  through  the  front  entrance,  past  some 
agitated-looking  servants  who  stood  about  in  the 
hall,  and  through  the  velvet  curtains  into  Mrs.  Wil- 
lis' boudoir. 

The  Misses  Bruce  were  there,  and  Mrs.  Willis  in 
Tier  bonnet  and  cloak  was  hastily  packing  some 
things  into  a  basket. 

"I — I  must  speak  to  you,"  said  Hester,  going  up 
to  her  governess.  "Susan  and  I  have  got  some- 
thing to  say,  and  we  must  say  it  here,  now  at 
once." 

"  No,  not  now,  Hester,"  replied  Mrs.  Willis  look- 
ing for  a  moment  into  her  pupil's  agitated  face. 
"Whatever  you  and  Susan  Drummond  have  to  tell 
cannot  be  listened  to  by  me  at  this  moment.  I  have 
not  an  instant  to  lose." 

"  You  are  going  to  Annie  ?"  asked  Hester. 

"  Yes  ;  don't  keep  me.  Good-bye,  my  dears ; 
good-bye." 

Mrs.  Willis  moved  toward  the  door.  Hester,  who 
felt  almost  beside  herself,  rushed  after  her,  and 
caught  her  arm. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  319 

"Take  us  with  you,  take  Susy  and  me  with  you 
—we  must,  we  must  see  Annie  before  she  dies." 

" Hush,  my  child,"  said  Mrs.  Willis  very  quietly; 
"  try  to  calm  yourself.  Whatever  you  have  got  to 
say  shall  be  listened  to  later  on — now  moments  are 
precious,  and  I  cannot  attend  to  you.  Calm  your- 
self, Hester,  and  thank  God  for  your  dear  little  sis- 
ter's safety.  Prepare  yourself  to  receive  her,  for 
the  carriage  which  takes  me  to  Annie  will  bring 
little  Nan  home. 

Mrs.  Willis  left  the  room,' and  Hester  threw  her- 
self on  her  knees  and  covered  her  face  with  her 
trembling  hands.  Presently  .she  was  aroused 
by  a  light  touch  on  her  arm  ;  it  was  Susan  Drum- 
mond. 

"  I  may  go  now  I  suppose,  Hester  ?  You  are  not 
quite  determined  to  make  a  fool  of  me,  are  you  ?" 

"  I  have  determined  to  expose  you,  you  coward ; 
you  mean,  mean  girl  ?"  answered  Hester,  springing 
to  her  feet.  "  Come,  I  have  no  idea  of  letting  you 
go.  Mrs.  Willis  won't  listen — we  will  find  Mr. 
Everard."  * 

Whether  Susan  would  really  have  gone  with  Hes- 
ter remains  to  be  proved,  but  just  at  that  moment 
all  possibility  of  retreat  was  cut  away  from  her  by 
Miss  Agnes  Bruce,  who  quietly  entered  Mrs.  Willis' 
private  sitting-room,  followed  by  the  very  man 
Hester  was  about  to  seek. 

"I  thought  it  best,  my  dear,"  she  said,  turning 
apologetically  to  Hester,  "  to  go  at  once  for  our  good 
clergyman  ;  you  can  tell  him  all  that  is  in  your 


320  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

heart,  and  I  will  leave  you.  Before  I  go,  however, 
I  should  like  to  tell  you  ho\  •  I  found  Annie  and 
little  Nan." 

Hester  made  no  answer ;  just  for  a  brief  moment 
she  raised  her  eyes  to  Miss  Agnes'  kind  face,  then 
they  sought  the  floor. 

"The  story  can  be  told  in  a  few  words,  dear,"  said 
the  little  lady.  "A  workwoman  of  the  name  of 
Williams,  whom  my  sister  and  I  have  employed 
for  years,  and  who  lives  near  Oakley,  called  on  us 
this  morning  to  apologize  for  not  being  able  to 
finish  some  needlework.  She  told  us  that  she  had 
a  sick  child,  and  also  a  little  girl  of  three,  in  her 
house.  She  said  she  had  found  the  child,  in  ragged 
gypsy  garments,  fainting  in  a  field.  She  took  her 
into  her  house,  and  on  undressing  her,  found  that 
she  was  no  true  gypsy,  but  that  her  face  and  hands 
and  arms  had  been  dyed  ;  she  said  the  little  one  had 
been  treated  in  a  similar  manner.'  Jane's  suspicions 
and  mine  were  instantly  roused,  and  we  went  back 
with  the  woman  to  Oakley,  and  found,  as  we  had 
anticipated,  that  the  children  were  little  Nan  and 
Annie.  The  sad  thing  is  that  Annie  is  in  high 
fever,  and  knows  no  one.  We  waited  there  until 
the  doctor  arrived,  who  spoke  very,  very  seriously 
of  her  case.  Little  Nan  is  well,  and  asked  for 
you." 

With  these  last  words  Miss  Agnes  Bruce  softly 
left  the  room  closing  the  door. after  her. 

"  Now,  Susan,"  said  Hester,  without  an  instant's 
pause ;  "  come,  let  us  tell  Mr.  Everard  of  our 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  321 

wickedness.  Oh,  sir,"  she  added,  raising  her 
eyes  to  the  clergyman's  face,  "if  Annie  dies  I 
shall  go  mad.  Oh,  I  cannot,  cannot  bear  life  if 
Annie  dies !" 

"  Tell  me  what  is  wrong,  my  poor  child,"  said 
Mr.  Everard.  He  laid  his  hand  on  her  shoulder, 
and  gradually  and  skillfully  drew  from  the 
agitated  and  miserable  girl  the  story  of  her  sin,  of 
her  cowardice,  and  of  her  deep,  though  until  now 
unavailing  repentance.  How  from  the  first  she  had 
hated  and  disliked  Annie ;  how  unjustly  she  had 
felt  toward  her;  how  she  had  longed  and  hoped 
Annie  was  guilty ;  and  how,  when  at  last  the  clue 
was  put  into  her  hands  to  prove  Annie's  absolute 
innocence,  she  had  determined  not  to  use  it. 

"  From  the  day  Nan  was  lost,"  continued  Hester, 
"  it  has  been  all  agony  and  all  repentance  ;  but,  oh, 
I  was  too  proud  to  tell !  I  was  too  proud  to  humble 
myself  to  the  very  dust !" 

"  But  not  now,"  said  the  clergyman,  very  gently. 

"  No,  no ;  not  now.  I  care  for  nothing  now  in  all 
the  world  except  that  Annie  may  live." 

"  You  don't  mind  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Willis  and  all 
your  schoolfellows  must  know  of  this,  and  must — 
must  judge  you  accordingly  ?" 

"  They  can't  think  worse  of  me  than  I  think  of 
myself.  I  only  want  Annie  to  live." 

"  No,  Hester,"  answered  Mr.  Everard,  "  you  want 
more  than  that — you  want  far  more  than  that.  It 
may  be  that  God  will  take  Annie  Forest  away. 
We  cannot  tell.  With  Him  alone  are  the  issues  of 


322  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

life  or  death.  What  you  really  want,  mj  child,  1% 
the  forgiveness  of  the  little  girl  you  have  wronged, 
and  the  forgiveness  of  your  Father  in  heaven." 

Hester  began  to  sob  wildly. 

"  If — if  she  dies — may  I  see  her  first  ?"  she 
gasped. 

"  Yes  ;  I  will  try  and  promise  you  that.  Now, 
will  you  go  to  your  room  ?  I  must  speak  to 
Miss  Drummond  alone :  she  is  a  far  worse  culprit 
than  you.". 

Mr.  Everard  opened  the  door  for  Hester,  who 
went  silently  out. 

"  Meet  me  in  the  chapel  to-night,"  he  whispered 
low  in  her  ear,  "  I  will  talk  with  you  and  pray  with 
you  there." 

He  closed  the  door,  and  came  back  to  Susan. 

All  throughout  this  interview  his  manner  had 
been  very  gentle  to  Hester;  but  the  clergyman 
could  be  stern,  and  there  was  a  gleam  of  very  right- 
eous anger  in  his  eyes  as  he  turned  to  the  sullen 
girl  who  leaned  heavily  against  the  table. 

"This  narrative  of  Hester  Thornton's  is,  of 
course,  quite  true,  Miss  Drummond  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes ;  there  seems  to  be  no  use  in  denying 
that;"  said  Susan. 

"  I  must  insist  on  your  telling  me  the  exact  story 
of  your  sin.  There  is  no  use  in  your  attempting  to 
deny  anything ;  only  the  utmost  candor  on  your 
part  can  now  save  you  from  being  publicly 
expelled." 

"I    am  willing    to   tell,"    answered    Susan.      "I 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  323 

meant  no  harm  ;  it  was  done  as  a  bit  of  fun.  I  had 
a  cousin  at  home  who  was  very  clever  at  drawing 
caricatures,  and  I  happened  to  have  nothing  to  do 
one  day,  and  I  was  alone  in  Annie's  bedroom,  and  I 
thought  I'd  like  to  see  what  she  kept  in  her  desk. 
I  always  had  a  fancy  for  collecting  odd  keys,  and  I 
found  one  on  my  bunch  which  fitted  her  desk 
exactly.  I  opened  it,  and  I  found  such  a  smart 
little  caricature  of  Mrs.  Willis.  I  sent  the  caricature 
to  my  cousin,  and  begged  of  her  to  make  an  exact 
copy  of  it.  She  did  so,  and  I  put  Annie's  back  in 
her  desk,  and  pasted  the  other  into  Cecil's  book.  I 
didn't  like  Dora  Russell,  and  I  wrapped  up  the 
sweeties  in  her  theme  ;  but  I  did  the  other  for  pure 
fun,  for  I  knew  Cecil  would  be  so  shocked ;  but  I  never 
guessed  the  blame  would  fall  on  Annie.  When  I 
found  it  did,  I  felt  inclined  to  tell  once  or  twice,  but 
it  seemed  too  much  trouble  and,  besides,  I  knew 
Mrs.  Willis  would  punish  me,  and,  of  course,  I  didn't 
wish  that. 

"  Dora  Russell  was  always  very  nasty  to  me,  and 
when  I  found  she  was  putting  on  such  airs,  and  pre- 
tending she  could  write  such  a  grand  essay  for  the 
prize,  I  thought  I'd  take  down  her  pride  a  bit.  I 
went  to  her  desk,  and  I  got  some  of  the  rough  copy 
of  the  thing  she  was  calling  '  The  River,'  and  I  sent 
it  off  to  my  cousin,  and  my  cousin  made  up  such  a 
ridiculous  paper,  and  she  hit  off  Dora's  writing  to 
the  life,  and,  of  course,  I  had  to  put  it  into  Dora's 
desk  and  tear  up  her  real  copy.  It  was  very 
unlucky  Hester  being  in  the  room.  Of  course  I 


324  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

never  guessed  that,  or  I  wouldn't  have  gone.  That 
was  the  night  we  all  went  with  Annie  to  the  fairies' 
field.  I  never  meant  to  get  Hester  into  a  scrape, 
nor  Annie  either,  for  that  matter ;  but,  of  course,  I 
couldn't  be  expected  to  tell  on  myself." 

Susan  related  her  story  in  her  s  ual  monotonous 
and  sing-song  voice.  There  was  no  trace  of  appar- 
ent emotion  on  her  face,  or  of  regret  in  her  tones. 
When  she  had  finished  speaking  Mr.  Everard  was 
absolutely  silent. 

"  I  took  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  "  continued  Susan, 
after  a  pause,  in  a  slightly  fretful  key.  "It  was 
really  nothing  but  a  joke,  and  I  don't  see  why  such  a 
fuss  should  have  been  made.  I  know  I  lost  a  great 
deal  of  sleep  trying  to  manage  that  twine  business 
round  my  foot.  I  don't  think  I  shall  trouble 
myself  playing  any  more  tricks  upon  schoolgirls — 
they  are  not  worth  it." 

"You'll  never  play  anymore  tricks  on  these  girls," 
said  Mr.  Everard,  rising  to  his  feet,  and  suddenly  fill- 
ing the  room  and  reducing  Susan  to  an  abject  silence 
by  the  ring  of  his  stern,  deep  voice.  "  I  take  it  upon 
me,  in  the  absence  of  your  mistress,  to  pronounce  your 
punishment.  You  leave  Lavender  House  in  disgrace 
this  evening.  Miss  Good  will  take  you  home,  and 
explain  to  your  parents  the  cause  of  your  dismissal. 
You  are  not  to  see  any  of  your  schoolfellows  again. 
Your  meanness,  your  cowardice,  your  sin  require  no 
words  on  my  part  to  deepen  their  vileness.  Through 
pure  wantonness  you  have  cast  a  cruel  shadow  on  an 
innocent  young  life.  If  that  girl  dies,  you  indeed  are 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  325 

not  blameless  in  the  cause  of  her  early  removal,  for 
through  you  her  heart  and  spirit  were  broken.  Miss 
Drummond,  I  pray  God  you  may  at  least  repent  and 
be  sorry.  There  are  some  people  mentioned  in  the 
Bible  who  are  spoken  of  as  past  feeling.  Wretched 
girl,  while  there  is  yet  time,  pray  that  you  may  not 
belong  to  them.  Now  I  must  leave  you,  but  I  shall 
lock  you  in.  Miss  Good  will  come  for  you  in  about 
an  hour  to  take  you  away." 

Susan  Drummond  sank  down  on  the  nearest  seat, 
and  began  to  cry  softly  ;  one  or  two  pin-pricks  from 
Mr.  Everard's  stern  words  may  possibly  have  reached 
her  shallow  heart — no  one  can  tell.  She  left  Laven- 
der House  that  evening,  and  none  of  the  girls  who 
had  lived  with  her  as  their  schoolmate  heard  of  her 
again. 


326  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  L. 

THE    HEART  OF    LITTLE    NAN. 

FOR  SEVERAL  days  now  Annie  had  lain  unconscious 
in  Mrs.  Williams'  little  bedroom ;  the  kind-hearted 
woman  could  not  find  it  in  her  heart  to  send  the  sick 
child  away.  Her  husband  and  the  neighbors  expos- 
tulated with  her,  and  said  that  Annie  was  only  a 
poor  little  waif. 

"  She  has  no  call  on  you,"  said  Jane  Allen,  a  hard- 
featured  woman  who  lived  next  door.  "  Why  should 
you  put  yourself  out  just  for  a  sick  lass  ?  and  she'll 
.be  much  better  off  in  the  workhouse  infirmary." 

But  Mrs.  Williams  shook  her  head  at  her  hard- 
featured  and  hard-hearted  neighbor,  and  resisted  her 
husband's  entreaties. 

"Eh?"  she  said,  "but  the  poor  lamb  needs  a  good 
bit  of  mothering,  and  I  misdoubt  me  she  wouldn't 
get  much  of  that  in  the  infirmary." 

So  Annie  stayed,  and  tossed  from  side  to  side  of 
her  little  bed,  and  murmured  unintelligible  words, 
and  grew  daily  a  little  weaker  and  a  little  more  de- 
lirious. The  parish  doctor  called,  and  shook  his 
head  over  her ;  he  was  not  a  particularly  clever  man, 
but  he  was  the  best  the  Williamses  could  afford. 
While  Annie  suffered  and  went  deeper  into  that 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  327 

valley  of  humiliation  and  weakness  which  leads  to 
the  gate  of  the  Valley  of  the  Shadow  of  Death,  little 
Nan  played  with  Peggy  Williams,  and  accustomed 
herself  after  the  fashion  of  little  children  to  all  the 
ways  of  her  new  and  humble  home. 

It  was  on  the  eighth  day  of  Annie's  fever  that  the 
Misses  Bruce  discovered  her,  and  on  the  evening  of 
that  day  Mrs.  Willis  knelt  by  her  little  favorite's 
bed.  A  better  dx>ctor  had  been  called  in,  and  all 
that  money  could  procure  had  been  got  now  for  poor 
Annie ;  but  the  second  doctor  considered  her  case 
even  more  critical,  and  said  that  the  close  air  of  the 
cottage  was  much  against  her  recovery. 

"  I  didn't  make  that  caricature ;  I  took  the  girls 
into  the  fairies'  field,  but  I  never  pasted  that  carica- 
ture into  Cecil's  book.  I  know  you  don't  believe 
me,  Cecil ;  but  do  you  think  I  would  really  do  any- 
thing so  mean  about  one  whom  I  love  ?  No,  No  !  I 
am  innocent !  God  knows  it.  Yes,  I  am  glad  of 
that — God  knows  it." 

Over  and  over  in  Mrs.  Willis'  presence  these 
piteous  words  would  come  from  the  fever-stricken 
child,  but  always  when  she  came  to  the  little  sentence 
"  God  knows  I  am  innocent,"  her  voice  would  grow 
tranquil,  and  a  faint  and  sweet  smile  would  play 
round  her  lips. 

Late  that  night  a  carriage  drew  up  at  a  little 
distance  from  the  cottage,  and  a  moment  or  two 
afterward  Mrs.  Willis  was  called  out  of  the  room 
to  speak  to  Cecil  Temple. 

"  I  have  found  out  the  truth  about  Annie  ;  I  have 


328  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

come  at  once  to  tell  you,"  she  said ;  and  then  she 
repeated  the  substance  of  Hester's  and  Susan's 
story. 

"  God  help  me  for  having  misjudged  her,"  mur- 
mured the  head-mistress ;  then  she  bade  Cecil  "  good- 
night "  and  returned  to  the  sick-room. 

The  next  time  Annie  broke  out  with  her  piteous 
wail,  "  They  believe  me  guilty — Mrs.  Willis  does — 
they  all  do,"  the  mistress  laid  her  Jiand  with  a  firm 
and  gentle  pressure  on  the  child's  arm. 

"  Not  now,  my  dear,"  she  said,  in  a  slow,  clear, 
and  emphatic  voice.  "  God  has  shown  your  governess 
the  truth,  and  she  believes  in  you." 

The  very  carefully-uttered  words  pierced  through 
the  clouded  brain  ;  for  a  moment  Aniiki  lay  quite 
still,  with  her  bright  and  lovely  eyes  fixed  on  her 
teacher. 

"  Is  that  really  you  ?"  she  asked. 

"  I  am  here,  my  darling." 

"  And  you  believe  in  me  ?" 

"  I  do,  most  absolutely." 

"  God  does,  too,  you  know,"  answered  Annie — 
bringing  out  the  words  quickly,  and  turning  her  head 
to  the  other  side.  The  fever  had  once  more  gained 
supremacy,  and  she  rambled  on  unceasingly  through 
the  dreary  night. 

Now,  however,  when  the  passionate  words  broke 
out,  "  They  believe  me  guilty,"  Mrs.  Willis  always 
managed  to  quiet  her  by  saying,  "  I  know  you  are 
innocent." 

The  next  day  at  noon  those  girls  who  had  not 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  329 

gone  home — for  many  had  started  by  the  morning 
train — were  wandering  aimlessly  about  the  grounds. 

Mr.  Everard  had  gone  to  see  Annie,  and  had 
promised  to  bring  back  the  latest  tidings  about 
her. 

Hester,  holding  little  Nan's  hand — for  she  could 
scarcely  bear  to  have  her  recovered  treasure  out  of 
sight — had  wandered  away  from  the  rest  of  her 
companions,  and  had  seated  herself  with  Nan  under 
a  large  oak-tree  which  grew  close  to  the  entrance 
of  the  avenue.  She  had  come  here  in  order  to  be 
the  very  first  to  see  Mr.  Everard  on  his  return. 
Nan  had  climbed  into  Hester's  lap,  and  Hester  had 
buried  her  aching  head  in  little  Nan's  bright  curls, 
when  she  started  suddenly  to  her  feet  and  ran 
forward.  Her  quick  ears  had  detected  the  sound  of 
wheels. 

How  soon  Mr.  Everard  had  returned ;  surely  the 
news  was  bad !  She  flew  to  the  gate,  and  held  it 
open  in  order  to  avoid  the  short  delay  which  the 
lodge-keeper  might  cause  in  coming  to  unfasten  it. 
She  flushed,  however,  vividly,  and  felt  half  inclined 
to  retreat  into  the  shade,  when  she  saw  that  the 
gentleman  who  was  approaching  was  not  Mr.  Ever- 
ard, but  a  tall,  handsome,  and  foreign-looking  man, 
who  drove  a  light  dog-cart  himself.  The  moment 
he  saw  Hester  with  little  Nan  clinging  to  her  skirts 
he  stopped  short. 

"  Is  this  Lavender  House,  little  girl  ?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Hester. 

"  And  can  you  tell  me — but  of  course  you  know-"* 


330  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

you  are  one  of  the  young  ladies  who  live  here,  eh  ?" 
Hester  nodded. 

"  Then  you  can  tell  me  if  Mrs.  Willis  is  at  home — 
but  of  course  she  is." 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  Hester ;  "  I  am  sorry  to  tell 
you  that  Mrs.  Willis  is  away.  She  has  been  called 
away  on  very,  very  sad  business ;  she  won't  come 
back  to-night." 

Something  in  Hester's  tone  caused  the  stranger  to 
look  at  her  attentively  ;  he  jumped  off  the  dog-cart 
and  came  to  her  side. 

"  See  here,  Miss " 

"  Thornton,"  put  in  Hester. 

''Yes,  Miss — Miss  Thornton,  perhaps  you  can 
manage  for  me  as  well  as  Mrs.  Willis ;  after  all  I 
don't  particularly  want  to  see  her.  If  you  belong 
to  Lavender  House,  you,  of  course,  know  my — I 
mean  you  have  a  schoolmate  here,  a  little,  pretty 
gypsy  rogue  called  Forest — little  Annie  Forest  I 
want  to  see  her — can  you  take  me  to  her  ?" 

"  You  are  her  father  ?"  gasped  Hester. 

"  Yes,  my  dear  child,  I  am  her  father.  Now  you 
can  take  me  to  her  at  once." 

Hester  covered  her  face. 

"  Oh,  I  cannot,"  she  said — "  I  cannot  take  you  to 
Annie.  Oh,  sir,  if  you  knew  all,  you  would  feel 
inclined  to  kill  me.  Don't  ask  me  about  Annie — 
don't,  don't" 

The  stranger  looked  fairly  non-plussed  and  not  a 
little  alarmed.  Just  at  this  moment  Nan's  tiny  fin- 
gers touched  his  hand. 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  331 

"Me'll  take  bo  to  my  Annie,"  she  said — "mine 
poor  Annie.  Annie's  vedy  sick,  but  me'll  take  'oo." 

The  tall,  foreign-looking  man  lifted  Nan  into  his 
arms. 

"  Sick,  is  she  ?"  he  answered.  "  Look  here  young 
lady,"  he  added,  turning  to  Hester,  "whatever  you 
have  got  to  say,  I  am  sure  you  will  try  and  say  it ; 
you  will  pity  a  father's  anxiety  and  master  your  own 
feelings.  Where  is  my  little  girl  ?" 

Hester  hastily  dried  her  tears. 

*'  She  is  in  a  cottage  near  Oakley,  sir." 

"  Indeed  !     Oakley  is  some  miles  from  here  ?" 

"  And  she  is  very  ill." 

"What  of?" 

"  Fever  ;  they — they  fear  she  may  die." 

''Take  me  to  her,'  said  the  stranger.  "If  she  is 
ill  and  dying  she  wants  me.  Take  me  to  her  at 
once.  Here,  jump  on  the  dog-cart ,  and,  little  one, 
you  shall  come  too.  ' 

So  furiously  did  Captain  Forest  drive  that  in  a 
very  little  over  an  hour's  time  his  panting  horse 
stopped  at  a  few  steps  from  the  cottage.  He  called 
to  a  boy  to  hold  him,  and,  accompanied  by  Hester, 
and  carrying  Nan  in  his  arms,  he  stood  on  the 
threshold  of  Mrs.  Williams'  humble  little  abode  Mr. 
Everard  was  coming  out. 

"  Hester,"  he  said,  "  you  here  ?  I  was  coming  foi 
you." 

"  Oh,  then  she  is  worse  ?" 

"  She  is  conscious,  and  has  asked  for  you.  Yeq 
she  is  very,  very  ill." 


332  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 

"  Mr.  Everard,  this  gentleman  is  Annie's  father.'* 

Mr.  Everard  looked  pityingly  at  Captain  Forest. 

"  You  have  come  back  at  a  sad  hour,  sir, "  he  said. 
"  But  no,  it  cannot  harm  her  to  see  you.  Come 
with  me." 

Captain  Forest  went  first  into  the  sick  room ; 
Hester  waited  outside.  She  had  the  little  kitchen  to 
herself,  for  all  the  Williamses,  with  the  exception  of 
the  good  mother,  had  moved  for  the  time  being  to 
other  quarters.  Surely  Mr.  Everard  would  come 
for  her  in  a  moment  ?  Surely  Captain  Forest,  who 
had  gone  into  the  sick-room  with  Nan  in  his  arms, 
would  quickly  return  ?  There  was  no  sound.  All 
was  absolute  quiet.  How  soon  would  Hester  be 
summoned  ?  Could  she— could  she  bear  to  look  at 
Annie's  dying  face  ?  Her  agony  drove  her  down  on 
her  knees. 

"  Oh,  if  you-  would  only  spare  Annie,"  she  prayed 
to  God.  Then  she  wiped  her  eyes.  This  terrible 
suspense  seemed  more  than  she  could  bear.  Sud- 
denly the  bedroom  door  was  softly  and  silently 
opened,  and  Mr  Everard  came  out. 

"  She  sleeps,"  he  said  ;  "there  is  a  shadow  of  hope, 
Little  Nan  has  done  it  Nan  asked  to  lie  down  be- 
side her,  and  she  said,  'Poor  Annie  !  poor  Annie!' 
and  stroked  her  cheek  ;  and  in  some  way,  1  don't 
know  how,  the  two  have  gone  to  sleep  together. 
Annie  did  not  even  glance  at  her  father ;  she  was 
quite  taken  up  with  Nan.  You  can  come  to  the 
door  and  look  at  her  Hester." 

Hester  did  so.    A  time  had  been  when  she  could 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  333 

scarcely  have  borne  that    sight  without  a  pang  of 
jealousy ;  now  she  turned  to  Mr.  Everard  : 

"  I — I  could  even  give  her  the  heart  of  little  Naa 
to  keep  her  here,"  she  murmured. 


334  A   WORLD  OF  GIRLS. 


CHAPTER  LI. 

THE   PRIZE   ESSAY. 

ANNIE  did  not  die.  The  fever  passed  away 
in  that  long  and  refreshing-  sleep,  while  Nan  s 
cool  hand  lay  against  her  cheek  She  came  slowly, 
slowly  back  to  life — to  a  fresh,  a  new,  and  a  glad 
life.  Hester,  from  being  her  enemy,  was  now  her 
dearest  and  warmest  friend.  Her  father  was  at 
home  again,  and  she  could  no  longer  think  or  speak 
of  herself  as  lonely  or  sad.  She  recovered,  and  in 
future  days  reigned  as  a  greater  favorite  than  ever 
at  Lavender  House  It  is  only  fair  to  say  that 
Tiger  never  went  back  to  the  gypsies,  but  devoted 
himself  first  and  foremost  to  Annie,  and  then  to  the 
captain,  who  pronounced  him  a  capital  dog.  and 
when  he  heard  his  story  vowed  he  never  would  part 
with  him. 

Owing  to  Annie's  illness,  and  to  all  the  trouble 
and  confusion  which  immediately  ensued,  Mrs.  Willis 
did  not  give  away  her  prizes  at  the  usual  time ;  but 
when  her  scholars  once  more  assembled  at  Lavender 
House  she  astonished  several  of  them  by  a  few 
words 

"My  dears,"  she  said,  standing  in  her  accustomed 
place  at  the  head  of  the  long  schoolroom,  "  I  intend 


A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS.  335 

now  before  our  first  day  of  lessons  begins,  to  distrib- 
ute those  prizes  which  would  have  been  yours,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  on  the  twenty  first  of  June 
The  prizes  will  be  distributed  during  the  afternoon 
recess ,  but  here,  and  now.  I  wish  to  say  something 
about — and  also  to  give  away — the  prize  for  English 
composition.  Six  essays,  all  written  with  more  or 
less  care,  have  been  given  to  me  to  inspect.  There 
are  reasons  which  we  need  not  now  go  into  which 
made  it  impossible  for  me  to  say  anything  in  favor  of 
a  theme  called  The  River,  written  by  my  late 
pupil,  Miss  Russell ,  but  I  can  cordially  praise  a  very 
nice  historical  sketch  of  Marie  Antoinette,  the  work 
of  Hester  Thornton.  Mary  Price  has  also  written  a 
study  which  pleases  me  much,  as  it  shows  thought 
and  even  a  little  originality.  The  remainder  of  the 
six  essays  simply  reach  an  ordinary  average.  You 
will  be  surprised  therefore,  my  dears,  to  learn  that  I 
do  not  award  the  prize  to  any  of  these  themes,  but 
rather  to  a  seventh  composition,  which  was  put  into 
my  hands  yesterday  by  Miss  Danesbury.  It  is  crude 
and  unfinished,  and  doubtless  but  for  her  recent  ill- 
ness would  have  received  many  corrections ;  but 
these  few  pages  which  are  called  A  Lonely  Child,' 
drew  tears  from  my  eyes ;  crude  as  they  are,  they 
have  the  merit  of  real  originality  They  are  too 
morbid  to  read  to  you,  girls,  and  I  sincerely  trust 
and  pray  the  young  writer  may  never  pen  anything 
so  sad  again  Such  as  they  are,  however,  they  rank 
first  in  the  order  of  merit  and  the  prize  is  hers, 
Annie,  my  dear,  come  forward." 


336  A    WORLD  OF  GIRLS, 

Annie  left  her  seat,  and,  amid  the  cheers  of  her 
companions,  went  up  to  Mrs.  Willis,  who  placed  a 
locket  attached  to  a  slender  gold  chain,  round  her 
neck  .  the  locket  contained  a  miniature  of  the  head- 
mistress' much-loved  face. 

"After  all,  think  of  our  Annie  Forest  turning  out 
clever  as  well  as  being  the  prettiest  and  dearest  girl 
in  the    school  !"    exclaimed   several    of   her   com- ' 
panions. 

"Only  I  do  wish,1'  added  one,  "that  Mrs.  Willis 
had  let  us  see  the  essay  Annie,  treasure,  come 
here  tell  us  what  the  '  Lonely  Child  was  about." 

"I  don't  remember,  answered  Annie.  'I  don't 
know  what  loneliness  means  now,  so  how  can  I  de- 
scribe it?" 


THE  IWD 


ONE  TRUE  HEART 


3Y  FRANCES  HENSHAW  BADEN 


ONE  TRUE  HEART 


A  PLEASANT,  gentle-looking  girl  was  seated  under 
the  shade  of  a  great  oak  tree.  There  was  a  wistful 
look  in  her  brown  eyes,  as  she  followed  the  form  of 
a  handsome,  dashing-looking  fellow  going  down  the 
path,  with  a  brilliant  little  beauty  hanging  on  his  arm. 

"  Oh,  I  wish  it  was  time  to  go !  I  just  hate  picnics," 
she  was  saying  to  herself,  when  lounging,  careless  and 
free,  came  Tom  Howard,  and  said: 

"  Everybody  has  paired  off  but  you  and  me,  Miss 
Grayson.  Oh,  I'm  not  going  to  call  you  so.  My  sis- 
ters call  you  Annie,  and  I  think  I  might.  You  are 
tired,  I  see,  and  the  day  not  half  spent.  Come!  I'm 
going  to  try  and  make  myself  agreeable,  and  perhaps 
the  hours  may  be  endured  until  the  going-home  time 
comes.  Now,  Annie,  I  know  what  you  were  thinking 
about  when  I  came  up." 

Annie  shook  her  head,  and  said: 

"  Indeed  you  do  not." 

"Very  well,  if  I'm  right,  you  will  own  up?' 

A  smiling  assent  from  Annie. 

4k  You  were  hating  picnics,  because  a  certain  hand- 
some tellow  is  devoting  himself  to  a  would-be  belle ! " 

Annie  blushed  so  deeply  that  Tom  said: 

"That's  all  right.  I  have  a  knack  of  reading 
looks.  I'm  glad  you  are  not  an  acknowledged  beauty, 
Annie.  I  detest  having  to  talk  to  such  girls.  One 


4  One  True  Heart 

has  got  to  keep,  while  with  them,  the  same  look  of  ad- 
miration on  his  face,  and  neither  see  nor  hear  anybody 
else.  It  is  really  good  to  have  a  sensible  girl  to 
talk  to." 

"  Indeed,  I'd  just  like  to  be  as  pretty  as  Miss  Oak- 
ley! Just  see  how  Harry  keeps  beside  her."  An- 
nie's lips  quivered  just  a  little  then.  Ah,  she  had  let 
her  secret  slip  out! 

Tom  felt  as  if  he  would  enjoy  giving  Harry  Cleve- 
land a  good  thrashing.  He  felt  sure  he  had  been 
trifling  with  the  gentle  girl's  heart.  But  Tom  thought 
changing  the  conversation  would  help  matters  just 
then. 

"  Have  you  ever  spent  a  winter  in  town,  Annie?" 

\nnie  never  had;  but  said: 

'  I  would  like  to,  ever  so  much." 

"Katie  has  mother's  commands  to  either  bring 
you,  or  the  promise  of  your  coming  before  Christ- 
mas," Tom  said.  "And,  then,  I'll  promise  you  the 
gayest  time  you  ever  had." 

On  and  on  Tom  talked,  telling  of  the  "time"  they 
had  last  season,  and  relating  anecdotes  and  jokes,  so 
that,  notwithstanding  an  occasional  sigh,  when  Harry 
came  in  sight,  Annie  was  surprised  when  some  one 
called : 

"The  boat  is  coming!" 

Tom  managed  to  catch  Harry  alone  on  the  way 
home,  and  say: 

"Cleveland,  since  I've  been  visiting  down  here  I've 
heard  your  name  connected  with  Miss  Grayson's. 
Now,  I  want  to  know  if  I  will  be  trespassing  on  sornp- 
body  else's  ground?" 

"'No,  indeed;  not  mine.     Annie  is  the  dearest  Jit  tie 


One  True  Heart  3 

friend  in  the  world.  That's  all.  Possibly  in  time 
there  is  no  "knowing  but  I  might  have  been  rash 
enough  -V:  —  well  —  ah!  —  excuse  me,  there  is  Miss 
Oakley,  beautiful  and  rich.  Good  evening.  You 
have  my  best  wishes." 

"The  consummate  puppy.  He  is  not  worthy  of 
her.  Never  mind.  My  name's  not  Tom  Howard  if 
I  don't  change  his  tune  in  less  than  six  months." 

Annie  Grayson  and  Tom  Howard's  sister  were 
schoolmates.  A  sweet,  simple,  country  girl  was  An- 
nie, never  having  b^cn  farther  than  the  little  town  of 
P ,  where  t'--.  seminary  was. 

Harrv  Cleveland  had  been  visiting  an  uncle  in  the 
neigh  oorhood  for  a  few  weeks,  during  which  time  he 
b»d  amused  himself  with  the  gentle  little  Annie. 

And  she,  poor  girl,  thought  her  heart  must  break 
when  Harry  left  her  to  follow  in  the  train  with  Miss 
Oakley's  admirers. 

Annie's  father  was  only  a  "well-to-uu  -.iner." 
And  it  cost  him  a  consid  r?ble  effort  tc  give  his  daugh- 
ter a  suitable  fit-out  or  a  winter  in  town;  but  Annie 
had  grown  so  sac*  ie  was  glad  to  let  her  go.  Annie 
had  not  entirel \  cast  Harry  from  her  heart.  Some 
little  hope  of  seeing  him  and  winning  him  back  lin- 
gered still  when  she  arrived  in  B . 

What  Tom  had  been  doing  I  cannot  just  tell,  but 
somehow,  to  Annie''s  immense  surprise,  the  evening 
of  her  arrival  she  found  herself  surrounded  by  a  half 
dozen  very  pleasant  young  gentlemen,  each  ont  seem- 
ing to  vie  with  the  other  in  attentions  to  her.  En- 
gagements for  the  opera,  concert  and  lectures  were 
made  for  her.  In  a  few  words,  in  less  than  a  week 
after  she  reacned  B ,  Annie  Grayson  was  an  %c- 


6  One  True  Heart 

knowled&ed  belle.  No  one  called  her  a  beauty.  But 
one  raved  over  her  "bronze  eyes;"  another,  her 
charming  naiveti;  a  third,  her  sylph-like  form.  An 
artist  friend  of  Tom's  wanted  to  paint  her  picture. 
He,  of  course,  knew  true  beauty.  That  was  enough. 
It  was  the  fashion  to  have  De  Vere  paint  one's  por- 
trait; and  so,  in  a  few  weeks,  Annie  Grayson's  picture 
was  on  exhibition  in  De  Vere's  studio.  One  would 
hardly  have  credited  the  change  those  weeks  had 
wrought  in  the  simple  country  girl,  and  for  the  better, 
too.  She  was  not  spoiled  at  all  —  only  pleased  and 
happy.  She  grew  very  easy  and  graceful  in  her  man- 
ner. Her  eyes  were  brighter,  and  laughing.  She 
had  gotten  entirely  over  the  wound  made  by  Harry 
Cleveland,  and  was  heart-whole  and  free  for  a  while. 
Frequently  she  met  Miss  Oakley  with  Harry,  but  no 
longer  she  sighed  for  her  beauty.  Once  or  twice  he 
had  called,  but  finding  Annie  always  with  pleasant 
company,  troubled  himself  no  further.  What  it  was 
that  first  drew  so  many  admirers  around  Annie,  Torn 
knew  best;  but  no  one  wondered  that  she  endeared 
herself  to  a^.  who  knew  her. 

Whispers  were  afloat  that  Miss  OakJey's  riches 
were  in  the  oil  regions,  and  after  a  while  that  no  oil 
was  there,  consequently  no  riches  for  her.  What  it 

was  i  can't  say;  but  Miss  Oakley  went  home  to  P- , 

and  Harry  did  not  follow.  About  this  time  Harry's 
aunt  came  to  town,  bringing  to  Annie  many  little  re- 
membrances from  home. 

Of  course  Harry  came  with  her  —  and  somehow 
managed  to  get  in  the  way  of  dropping  in  occasion- 
ally, much  to  the  disgust  of  some  of  Annie's  more  per- 
severing suitors.  Harry  never  could  bear  opposition. 


One  True  Heart  7 

First,  because  he  wanted  to  run  others  oft;  and,  again, 
because  Miss  Grayson  was  "the  fashion"  then. 
Harry  began  again  his  lovemaking.  Wooing  the 
little  rustic  and  wooing  the  calm,  assured  city  belle 
were  two  different  things. 

Annie  laughed  at  him,  not  believing,  or  feigning 
not  to  believe,  a  word  he  said.  At  length  —  in  per- 
fect desperation,  Harry  sought  Tom,  and  begged  his 
help. 

"Cleveland,  months  ago  I  came  to  you.  I  would 
not  have  tried  to  win  her  from  you.  You  told  me  to 
go  ahead,  I  had  your  best  wishes.  I  cannot  under- 
stand this  change — " 

"  Nor  I,  Tom.  I  only  know  I  love  her  now  —  I  do, 
upon  my  honor,"  said  Harry. 

"Has  not  the  little  piece  of  fun,  the  report  of  an 
uncle  in  India,  whose  heiress  she  is  to  be,  had  this 
powerful  effect?"  Tom  asked,  a  contemptuous  smile 
curling  his  lips. 

"No,  no.  Of  course  I  know  better  than  that. 
You  remember  my  aunt's  intimate  connection  with 
her  family.  No,  Tom,  I  love  her  —  I'd  many  her  to- 
day, and  work  for  her  cheerfully  all  the  days  of  my 
life." 

"  And  Miss  Oakley— " 

"She  —  ah,  well!  I  only  imagined  I  was  in  love 
with  her,"  Harry  said,  looking  considerably  em- 
barrassed. 

"Well,  Cleveland,  I  am  not  one  of  Miss  Grayson's 
suitors.  If  you  can  win  her  I  shall  not  oppose  you." 

One  after  another  of  Annie's  lovers  had  to  content 
themselves  with  her  friendship.  Harry  grew  verj 
hopeful,  and  Tom  began  to  think  his  little  game  niighi 


8  One  True  Heart 

. 
not  end  just  as  he  wished.     He  could  resign  her  to 

anyone  sooner  than  to  Harry  Cleveland.  There  was 
one  young  fellow  to  whom  Tom  had  confessed  his 
joke  concerning  the  India  wealth.  When  he  knew 
Annie  was  poorer  than  himself,  he  wooed  her  more 
earnestly.  In  every  way  he  was  worthy  of  Annie. 

Possibly,  for  a  chance  to  learn  the  true  state  of  her 
heart,  Tom  went  to  plead  another's  cause. 

"Annie,  may  I  speak  a  word  for  Noble?  Can  you 
not  learn  to  love  him?  Poor  fellow!  he  quite  wor- 
ships you,"  Tom  said,  "and  I  wish — " 

"I  wish  I  was  home  again,"  Annie  said;  and,  drop- 
ping her  head,  she  sobbed  like  a  grieved  child. 

"Why,  Annie,  how  can  you  talk  so?  What  has 
worried  you?  Everybody  loves  you.  You  ought  to 
be  the  happiest  girl  in  the  world,"  Tom  said,  trying  to 
soothe  her. 

"I  don't  want  everybody  to  love  me,  ^nd  every- 
body don't  love  me,"  sobbed  Annie. 

"  Oh,  you  unreasonable  little  girl!  Six  months  ago 
I  found  your  heart  almost  breaking  for  the  love  of  just 
one.  You  wanted  to  be  beautiful  for  his  sake.  And 
row  that  all  you  wished  for  is  yours,  you  are  not 
happy.  What  more  can  you  wish?" 

"I  wish  I'd  never  come  to  town!  I  wish  I  just 
knew  I  possessed  the  love  of  one  true  heart.  What 
do  I  want  with  many?" 

"Annie,  I  truly  believe  Harry  loves  you,  if  it  is 
about  him  you  are  troubled.  But  I  would  sooner 
give  you  to  Noble — " 

jhe  turned,  with  her  eyes  flashing.  Whut  she 
would  have  said  was  interrupted  by  Harry's  entrance. 
Tom  left  the  room.  A  half  hour  after,  with  a 


One  True  Heart  g 

Step,  lae  young  man  came  forth,  and  joining  Tom  on 
the  porch,  said: 

"It  is  all  over  with  me,  Howard.  I  vould  giv& 
years  of  my  life  to  recall  the  last  six  months.  Tlien  1 
might  have  won  her,  and  now  she  is  lost  to  me  for- 
*ver!" 

"Whom  does  she  care  for,  I'd  like  to  know?"  Tom 
asked. 

Harry  shook  his  head  sadly,  and  passed  out  a  wisei 
man.  Later  that  afternoon  Tom  found  out. 

"  I  wish  I  had  tried  to  win  her  myself,"  he  s^id.  "J 
shall  never  love  another  so  well.  I  wonder  if  her 
heart  is  free?  I've  a  mind  to  try." 

Annie,  Tom's  sister,  and  a  little  brother  sat  out  on 
the  porch  watching  the  sunset,  when  the  loud  report 
of  a  gun  was  heard  in  the  house.  The  little  boy 
rushed  in,  and  a  moment  after  came  flying  back,  cry- 
ing: 

"Oh,  Tom  is  shot!    Tom  is  killed!" 

All  ran  in  —  all  but  Annie.  Without  a  word  she 
had  fallen  to  the  ground.  Ten  minutes  after,  when 
they  found  her,  she  was  still  to  all  appearance  lifeless. 

It  was  so  long  before,  she  opened  her  eyes  that  they 
had  grown  terribly  anxious. 

With  a  wild  look  at  last  she  turned  from  one  to  the 
other.  Then  her  gaze  rested  on  one  nearest  to  her. 
With  a  glad  cry  she  put  forth  her  arms. 

Tom  knew  all,  then,  and  kneeling  beside  het  said 
in  a  whisper  low: 

"My  dar1ing,  my  own,  be  sure  of  the  love  of  one 
true  heart,  Are  you  satisfied  with  mine,  love*" 

"Are  you  hurt?"  she  asked,  the  warm  Biood  re- 
turning to  the  pale  face. 


to  One  True  Mean 

"Not  the  least,  only  upset  by  the  shock.  I  would 
not  have  minded  a  considerable  hurt  for  such  a  cure,'* 
Tom  said. 

And  then,  when  they  were  alone,  he  asked  again: 

"Are  you  happy  now,  Annie?" 

"Who  would  not  be,"  she  answered,  "whei  suure 
«rf  the  love  of  one  true  heart?" 


M 


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